


Bury Your Flame

by worriedpeach (skeletonflowers)



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Ableism, Alternate Universe, Amputation, Angst with a Happy Ending, Banter, Blood and Gore, Dan's pretty wild, Dragon Riders, Dragon Tamer Dan, Dragons, Enemies to Lovers, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Injury, Lots of bants i'm hilarious, M/M, Phan - Freeform, Phil's an asshole, Prince Phil Lester, Royalty, Someone loses a leg in there, dragon tamer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-04-24 17:05:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 42,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14359812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skeletonflowers/pseuds/worriedpeach
Summary: After receiving a dragon egg when his grandfather passed away, Phil is forced to ask for help from the local dragon tamer. As he soon finds out, Dan Howell is nothing he’s been expecting. Infuriating, ludicrous, and completely lacking respect, Dan is everything Phil hates. But Phil will do anything to make his grandfather proud, even if that means getting help from the local cluck.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dandelionisonfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dandelionisonfire/gifts).



> At long last, I'm finally uploading the first part of my dragon tamer au! This fic will be approximately 45k words and will include some violent scenes and angst. But it's also just really fun at the same time! Thank you so much to dandelionisonfire for betaing this for me and for helping me out with this story. You're the best and i couldn't ask for a better person to look at this fic. This fic is basically my baby after I've been working on it since last June, but hadn't been able to finish it until I had finished Sweet Pea! And now it's going up! I'm emotional lol. Thanks for reading i love you all

Two days after Phil’s grandfather had passed away, a loud knock resounded on Phil’s bedchamber door. He didn’t have the chance to grant access to the visitor before his door was opening, revealing his father. 

“Philip,” the King said solemnly, and Phil sat up curiously on his bed, giving him a confused glance. His father, dressed in his usual elegant attire, had an odd looking box cradled in his arms. It looked like a small chest, with stained purple wood and sparkling golden plates to protect it from harm. It wasn’t too large, yet big enough that it obviously held something inside of it. Perhaps gold or jewels? 

“Father,” Phil replied, trying his hardest to sound respectful. He stood from his bed, bowing his head. “To what do I owe you this pleasant surprise?”

The King took his time making his way over to Phil, gesturing his son to sit back on the bed. Still holding the box to his chest, they sat in a comfortable silence until his father finally broke it. “Before your grandfather passed, he confided in me that he wanted you to take care of this.” He handed the box to Phil, who took it in his hands gingerly. It wasn’t as heavy as he’d imagined it would be, but it was heavy enough for him to be aware that there was definitely something inside. “A letter is inside detailing what it is, exactly, but it was very important to your grandfather that you have this. He told me that he wanted you to keep his legacy alive by doing this favour for him. Do you think you can handle that?”

Phil glanced down at the box quizzically. He couldn’t very much tell what it was just by the outside, but the depth to his father’s tone made his stomach clench with nerves. “But what is it, father?” he asked quietly, running his hands down the sides of the chest. There was a lock keeping it shut but he didn’t have the key.

The King smiled, putting an arm around Phil’s shoulders to draw him close. “Why don’t you find out?” he asked, and then brandished a skeleton key from his pocket. 

Phil took it with shaking fingers, feeling his breath come out in short puffs. He didn’t know why he was so nervous, but there was a certain tenseness to the air that made him feel as if he was about to find something important in the chest. It took him three tries to insert the key into the lock, his hand shaking so bad that he could hardly control his movements. He twisted the key and the box sprang open. 

There was something inside, something covered in smooth velvet, almost like a blanket. He glanced at his father, to which the King nodded at him that it was okay to look. That was enough push he needed to lift the velvet, to see what had been hidden underneath.

It was definitely not what he had been expecting. There were no jewels. There was no gold. There was simply an egg, white with large golden flecks that almost made it seem as if it were plated in gold. An envelope was folded neatly atop of it, stamped shut with their family crest pressed into red wax. Gingerly, he opened the letter, not understanding why he was so apprehensive. It was just his grandfather, after all. Why would he entrust Phil with something he wouldn’t like?

The familiar scrawl of his grandfather’s writing made Phil choke back tears. He couldn’t cry, not when his father was sitting right next to him, surveying his every move. He needed to keep it together, stuffing his emotions far inside as he began to read the letter. 

_My dearest Philip,_

_I understand that you must be horribly confused, not understanding why your inheritance is a mere egg. However, you must understand that this is no ordinary egg. I had no one else that I felt as if I could trust to keep this creature safe. There are only few who have the strength, both physical and mental, to care for a creature such as this, and I know that you are strong in both ways._

_This is nothing other than a dragon’s egg. Please do not be afraid of this fact. Because dragons are such ancient creatures, it can take up to a hundred years before the beast will hatch. I reckon that it is now nearing a hundred years, so please prepare yourself for the hatchling. Dragons, whilst one of the most horrifying creatures, can also be one of the most docile if nurtured correctly. There is a dragon tamer who lives in the mountains, one with over twenty beasts, who you shall go to if you are feeling rather apprehensive._

_This simple act will bring pride to the family name. We are counting on you, Philip. Stay strong and protect your kingdom._

_Much love,_

_Alfred Lester_

Phil let the letter fall to his feet and he turned to gape at his father, his eyes wide and disbelieving. “A _dragon_?” Phil asked, shaking his head. “There must be some mistake. There is no way I am able to raise a beast, father.”

The King laughed and patted Phil on the shoulder. He was shaking his head with amusement, as if Phil as said the funniest thing in the universe. “I have no doubt in my mind that you will be just fine. We will have a dragon sanctuary built for you in the garden for when your new friend hatches. I recommend that you see the dragon tamer in the mountains before that happens.”

Ah yes, the dragon tamer. Phil has heard his name before, has heard comments from the local peasants and nobles. He was a man not much younger than himself, around the age of twenty-three that went by the name of Daniel Howell. Rumour has it that this Daniel fellow had been abandoned by his parents when he was a young child, abandoned in the Rose Mountains. A dragon named Dryas, the guardian of the mountains, had taken him in and raised him, fed him, helped him _survive_. Now, he was the nation’s largest dragon sanctuary. 

Except that Phil had also heard some _other_ things, some things that weren’t quite so good. 

Because Dan had been raised by a dragon, he was rumoured to be quite odd. The townspeople spoke of him as if he was living in a cloud away from society. He did not care for other people, did not care for the law or the monarchy. He often mocked those who came in his way. The only thing that he truly cared about were those _beasts_. 

Like hell Phil was going to go to the local cluck for help. 

“I will figure this out and bring pride to this family’s name,” Phil promised his father, bowing his head against the growing dread in his chest. 

He decided to do the best he could. Which wasn’t much, if he was being honest. 

He spent his days in the library reading every dragon book there was. They weren’t much help, especially because most made the beasts out to be terrible creatures that only wanted to cause pain and destruction upon towns, leaving anxiety to coil in Phil’s belly once more. He went down to watch the building of the sanctuary as well, watching as they planted flowers and shrubs and started to erect a den for the dragon. It didn’t help with his nervousness either. 

He didn’t know what to do. Weeks passed by and Phil knew that the egg would be closer to hatching each day. It began to make noises, began to shuffle, as if the dragon inside was trying to claw it’s way out. It never did, but Phil knew his time was running out. 

A month after he obtained the egg, he gave in. 

Rose Mountain wasn’t far by horse, and Phil cradled the egg the entire way. He was scowling, ignoring his chauffeur as he chatted about mundane things, such as the weather. 

He was annoyed that he had to give in, annoyed that he had to talk to some strange man about dragons, annoyed that he had to speak with a peasant who hated the monarchy. This was not going to be a fun time for Phil. 

The dragon tamer lived far away from other humans, his house built in the side of the mountain. It was an easy place for dragons to roam without much disturbance from outside influences. Phil saw a few of them grazing the pastures as they came closer to the Tamer’s home, some large, some small, all flashing in different colours. 

The carriage came to a stop before Phil was truly ready to get out. He waited for his chauffeur to open the door for him so he could slowly get out, taking careful steps as to not drop the egg. 

A dragon that he faintly recognised as Dryas with her long burgundy wings and red scales huffed as he passed by, making a noise low in her throat that sounded both like a warning and a greeting. He didn’t know whether or not he needed to watch his back, but hopefully a dragon wouldn’t cause his death that day. 

He didn’t get to knock on the door before it was swinging open, revealing a man that was similar in gait to Phil. He had a large smile on his face, one that almost looked goofy and made a dimple appear in his cheek. His brown hair was a right frizzy mess atop his head and freckles danced across his nose. His mud brown eyes sparkled with his smile. 

“You must be Prince Philip!” He exclaimed, holding his hand out for Phil to shake. Phil didn’t take it, instead staring at the offending appendage with disgust. Why was this man offering him a handshake and not bowing before him? The man laughed, letting his hand drop to his side. “Sorry, I forgot that royals dislike touching peasants. I’ll keep my hands to myself from now on unless you give me the okay.” He winked and Phil felt his own expression turn into a glare. 

“I have come to request your assistance, dragon tamer,” Phil said stiffly, and the man’s eyes glanced to the egg sitting in Phil’s arms. “My grandfather has given me this dragon egg and I am expected to hatch and raise it. It was recommended I come to you to understand how to do so.”

Dan hummed and nodded, opening the door wider to grant Phil access to his home. “Come inside, if you will. My deepest apologies that I do not have fancier furniture for your princely buttox to sit upon, my Lord. As I’m sure you understand, I am a mere peasant, unlike your royal self. That means I am unable to sleep upon a bed of feathers as I am so sure you quite enjoy.”

“I will not be spoken to in such a way,” Phil hissed, glare intensifying. He couldn’t believe the nerve of this man! It was as if he was making _fun_ of Phil, of the _Prince_! Who does he think he is? “Daniel Howell, is that correct?”

“Just Dan,” the Tamer corrected, holding out his hand expectantly. Phil narrowed his eyes but allowed Dan to take the egg from him, which he immediately put into a glass case that he could only guess was an incubator. 

“Well, _Dan_ , I choose to believe you are much smarter than you come across as. If you know what’s good for you then you will not speak to me in such a manner.”

There was silence between them as Dan turned on the incubator, taking in Phil’s words. He didn’t seem bothered in the slightest when he finally spoke, almost like Phil’s words held no weight. "It's no wonder my dragons think you're a threat," Dan mused, sweeping a look over Phil's attire with raised eyebrows. "They can sense your disgust, your fear, towards their master. Bringing harsh feelings into the beast's den was hardly a good idea on your part, Prince." As he spoke, Phil watched with a pounding heart as a tiny dragon, about the size of his hand, climbed onto Dan's shoulder. It was white with an opaque tinge to its scales, and Phil could swear that it _glared_ at him, baring its teeth. 

"Watch your creatures, Tamer," Phil snarled, crossing his arms over his chest. "One wrong move from them and I'll have you beheaded before supper." 

At that, instead of cowering in fear, the dragon tamer just tilted his head back and laughed, showing off the pale skin of his neck. "Ah yes," he purred, raising his eyebrows. "I suppose that could always work. Although you'd then get stuck with a dragon egg and no proper training. There's no doubt in my mind that you'd be burnt to a crisp, my lord." 

At the insinuation, Phil cast a weary glance to the egg sitting on Dan's desk. It was placed in an incubator, but Phil could still see the golden flecks that littered across it, almost like freckles. He weighed his options. 

On one hand, the dragon tamer was absolutely insane. It showed in the way he moved, his brown eyes wide as he glanced around the room, his hand dragging through his crazy brunette curls and not even blinking an eye when his hand got caught in them. Associating with someone who was a mere commoner who had a hobby of caring for beasts hardly seemed worth it. 

But on the other hand, Phil's grandfather had left the egg with Phil for a reason. He did not want to let his grandfather down in the slightest, especially when he was trusted with such a large responsibility. Dan was his only chance to prove his worth, to keep the memory of his grandfather living. Dan could show him how to care for a creature as rare as his own. 

"Fine," Phil seethed. "We work together. Show me the ways of the beasts. But do not think for a moment, Tamer, that I will not have you hanged the moment you or your dragons step out of line." 

The dragon on Dan's shoulder hissed, leaving Dan to hush it softly. "Maybe later, Ophelia. The Prince is not on the menu tonight," he sang, and Phil bristled. He spoke once more before Phil could speak. "A good decision, Prince. I'm sure your grandfather would be proud that you have accepted your newfound parenthood." 

Phil spluttered and took a step backwards in disgust. "Parenthood!" He scoffed. "As if a beast could be considered a child of a prince! I do this only to fulfill my duties to my grandfather, Tamer. The beast will be of no meaning to me other than my inheritance." 

The smile did not wipe from Dan's face. In fact it seemed to grow, making it clear that he was definitely wrong in the head in one way or another. "As you insist, Prince." 

Phil ignored him, ignored how it sounded as if Dan was mocking him. He had heard things - of course he had - about how the dragon tamer didn’t respect those in position of authority, how he didn’t respect anyone but his _dragons_. But it was much more unnerving to see it in person. Who could care about beasts that much to the point where they mocked every human they interacted with? It was absolutely disgusting! “How much longer until the egg hatches, Tamer?” Phil asked coolly. 

Dan hummed and slowly walked over to the incubator, bending down so he could put his face up close to the glass. He stared for a moment, tapping his fingers on the wood of his table. After a moment, he nodded. “The child will hatch in approximately eight minutes and thirty-two seconds,” he responded, rocking back on his heels. 

“You seem so sure of yourself. How can you be so positive?”

Dan shook his head, tsking. He smiled down at Phil, grabbing Ophelia with a gentle hand to hold her in his palm. Phil watched with guarded eyes as he pet the dragon with confident fingers, ones that were not scared in the slightest. The dragon tilted its head and made a grunt of approval. “I believe you have forgotten the depth in which I study the beasts,” he commented. “They are all I stand for, the only meaning I have in my life. They are the reason I breathe, the reason I live. My dragons are my children, my Lord, and they understand me unlike any other human.” He brought Ophelia close to his face and kissed the top of her head as if she was a dog. “It’s far too complex that a mere prince would simply not understand.” 

“A _mere_ prince?!” Phil spat, feeling rage fire through his bones. He took a threatening step toward Dan, but didn’t get far before Ophelia was raising on her haunches, letting out a growl so threatening that Phil could do nothing but to stop. He didn’t know why he was so afraid of such a tiny dragon, but he didn’t really want to figure out what those tiny sharp teeth could do. “I’ll have you know, I am far better off and more educated than you could ever be. Your resistance to authority is absolutely appalling and I will _not_ stand for this!” 

Dan gave him a challenging stare, smirk showing on his chapped pink lips. “Oh? Then please feel free to walk out of my dragon’s lair. Your inheritance will be passed onto me if you so wish it to be.”

That made Phil hesitate. He couldn’t just leave his grandfather’s inheritance here with some random, crazy stranger! That would be the ultimate shame cast on his family! Phil grit his teeth. “Don’t test me, Tamer.”

Just then, there was a crack that was so loud, Phil feared the incubator broke. His head whipped around to stare at the egg, eyes widening as he realised what was happening. 

The eight minutes had passed and his egg was _hatching_. 

Another crack sounded in the air and Phil watched in fright and amazement as a large fissure split down the egg that split into tinier fractures. Ophelia started making a noise that was like a happier version of a growl, if that were even possible, and then the eggshell was falling away. 

A creature crawled out then, one that was a brilliant bright blue with feathers that shone with yellows and purples and greens. It’s beady black eyes fixed on him and it started to climb out of the shell with more force. The dragon squawked and Phil’s eyes widened in awe. And horror, definitely horror. 

“What in God’s name is _that_?” Phil asked, and Dan snorted next to him, rushing towards the dragon to get it out of the incubator. 

“An Amphiptere,” Dan said simply. 

“Excuse me?”

Dan sighed and popped the top off of the incubator, fishing his hand inside and easily grabbing hold of the dragon. Phil didn’t know how he did it so easily without fearing getting bitten. “An Amphiptere,” he repeated. “It’s the only type of dragon that has feathers. Usually they don’t have legs, somehow you’ve managed to get yourself one with two of ‘em. Lucky father, you are.”

Phil glared at him. “Can you please stop calling me a father? It’s quite disturbing.”

Dan didn’t listen, or maybe he just didn’t care. He was too busy fawning over the newborn, his eyes wide and doe-like as he smiled softly at the tiny beast. "What's your name, little one?" Dan murmured, scratching the creature behind the ear and ruffling its feathers slightly. Phil watched with furrowed eyes as Dan tilted his head, almost as if he was listening to something Phil cannot hear. "Atlas! A beautiful name." He stroked the feathers once more and the dragon seemed to purr under his touch. "He who carries the sky on his shoulders."

Curiosity was growing inside of Phil, so fast that he could hardly put a stop to it. He pursed his lips, trying to decide if he should ask the question, but it was out of his mouth before he could stop it. “How in the world did you know its name was Atlas? Are you making things up, Tamer?”

Chuckling, Dan shook his head and held the dragon out to Phil to take. Atlas hopped around a little bit in Dan’s palm and Phil slowly held his hand out for the creature to climb onto. It’s claws made Phil flinch, the little pinpricks digging into his skin, but it was nothing unbearable. Closer up, he could see that it also had a beak-like snout. A bird dragon. “Consider me a dragon whisperer, if you will. All dragons are born with a name unique to them, a name that describes them and everything they stand for.” He gestured to Ophelia. “For example, the name Ophelia means ‘help’. My dragon comes to the aid of others faster than the speed of light. She is my helping hand.”

“What does Atlas mean, then? Why is he named that?”

Dan snorted. “He was born five minutes ago, Prince. I’m afraid even _he_ doesn’t quite understand why he’s born yet.”

Phil scowled and redirected his attention back to the dragon in his hands. It wasn’t really doing anything, just wobbling around on it’s two new legs and squawking every couple seconds. He could already tell it was going to get on his every last nerve. “There’s no way you can be telling the truth. Who in their right mind can speak to _dragons_?” He mumbled, taken off guard when Dan began to laugh again. 

He really _shouldn’t_ have been so surprised when Dan laughed, because Dan was quite the strange character, but he was anyways. “I can assure you I am not lying, Prince. I swear on my dragons lives.” He observed Atlas closely, never taking his eyes off of him. After a moment of silence between them, Ophelia crawled back up Dan’s shoulder and peered at Atlas. She squawked. “You’re right,” Dan said suddenly. It took Phil a moment to realise that he was talking to his dragon and not Phil. “Ophelia has informed me that your little friend has imprinted on you! What an exciting day!”

Phil couldn’t hide his irritation at his lack of understanding. Why couldn’t Dan just explain outright what he meant so Phil didn’t have to ask and make himself look like a fool? “And what does that mean, then?”

“Well, Atlas has taken a liking for you! He thinks you’re his mother, Prince.”

“I am _not_ its mother.”

Dan gasped and covered the dragon’s ears in mock offence. “You take that back!”

Phil clenched his jaw and shoved Atlas back at Dan. “You know what? Just keep him. I’d rather not have to deal with both a dragon _and_ the likes of you. I would very much like to go back to my regular life.”

He started to walk towards the door, only being stopped by Dan laughing heartily. It was no small chuckle, no. It was a full-bodied laugh, one that made Phil’s ears hurt and his eye twitch in frustration. “Good one, Prince! But as I said, Atlas has already imprinted on you! You would not like to see a rejected dragon, I’m afraid.”

Phil gulped. “Oh?” He tried to keep his voice steady, but he just sounded strangled instead. 

“If you abandon Atlas, he will come after you. He will do anything in his power to get your care and affection. Even if it means killing your entire family!” Dan exclaimed brightly as if he were talking about the weather. 

A cold sweat broke out across Phil’s forehead. What was he to do? Abandon the dragon and risk getting his family killed? Or accepting it, along with Dan’s help, to keep his family safe? The answer was not hard in the slightest, but that did not mean he was happy about it. In actuality, he was fuming. 

He had to work with a man who had no respect for him and who talked about dragons like they were competent enough to actually _speak_. How was Phil going to even last? “Fine,” he snapped, whipping around the glare once more at Dan. Atlas gave a happy squawk and danced in the dragon tamer’s palm. “I’ll accept it - and _you_ \- to keep my family safe. But I expect you to show me some respect.”

Dan walked over to him, his face soft, his hands gingerly holding Atlas out to Phil. With gentle hands, he set the dragon on Phil’s shoulder. Immediately, Atlas’ claws dug into his skin to keep him steady, but Phil expected it this time and therefore did not flinch. “I do not know if I am able to keep a promise such as that one, Prince,” Dan told him, an honest edge to his voice. It seemed as if there was a bit more seriousness to his tone, but not much. Phil wagered that was the best he’d get. “You see, it is not in my nature. Asking me of a request like that would be like asking you to throw away your crown. It is simply not something I am able to excuse so easily.”

“I am asking for respect, not for you to be locked in prison, Tamer,” Phil said flatly, unimpressed. How is respect such a hard thing to show? Surely showing respect wasn’t asking too much of Dan, wasn’t asking him to throw away all of his beliefs?

Dan smiled at him, his lips stretching over his teeth. “You and I, we are very much different from each other. It is best not to question what you do not understand, Prince.”

Phil scoffed and shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. How did that even have to do with anything? It was obvious that speaking with Dan about this was only going to make him spin in circles so he instead directed his attention back to Atlas, who was perched on his shoulder. He made a purring noise (which was more of a grumble) when Phil glanced at him, rubbing his beak against Phil’s cheek. Dan cooed and Phil had to hold himself back from glaring once again. “It is not cute,” Phil admonished. “It is disturbing that a beast is so attached to me. What if he destroys my castle and kills my family? I hope you are aware that you are the first person the guard would come after upon hearing of deaths done by dragons.”

“I’m aware,” Dan told him dismissively. He turned to the shelf beside them and started to shuffle through various books, seemingly looking for one in particular. “It is a small price I would pay for my dragons.”

“ _Small_?!” Phil exclaimed. “You are calling the possibility of death ‘ _small_ ’?”

The tamer seemed to have found what he wanted after a moment of searching, bringing out a book so old and ragged that it was falling apart at the seams and turned gray from dust. He ran a hand over it, making a cloud of dust fly into the air. Phil held back a cough, eyes watering. “As long as my dragons are safe, I do not consider death a threat.” The conversation came to an end there as Dan handed Phil the book. The leather felt as if it would come undone in Phil’s hands, almost like it was wrong of him to hold it. “Read this. It’ll give you enough knowledge that you should be able to sustain yourself until tomorrow’s training. Atlas is still too small to be able to cause too much damage at the moment, so don’t fret about him eating your family just yet.”

“You mean I’m taking him back to my castle? _Tonight_?”

Dan cocked his head and gave him a bemused stare. “Yes? I don’t want him to kill me or _my_ family.”

“But you just said he was too small to do damage!” Phil exclaimed, frustration leaking into his tone. What was the correct answer? If only Dan didn’t speak in riddles. 

Ophelia seemed to cackle at them, flapping her wings as she settled back on Dan’s shoulders, mimicking Atlas’ position on Phil. Dan snickered. “He won’t do anything as long as you’re there. Your company wll sate him for now. Tomorrow I’ll teach you how to properly not get eaten. But tonight, it’s free reign.”

“So you’re just allowing me to be eaten, then,” Phil said flatly, just as Atlas let out a squeak and bit down on Phil’s ear- _hard_. Phil screamed and smacked the little dragon away, ignoring the hiss he got in return as his hand hit Atlas’ body, dislodging him from Phil’s shoulder. “You bloody _beast_!” Phil snarled, cradling his head in his hand and trying to feel if his ear had started to bleed. 

It had. He could feel the blood pooling on his fingers, dripping from his earlobe, and he had never been filled with so much disdain until then. He had never really gotten hurt like this before, never seen so much _blood_ , and it was making him feel a bit woozy. Being the prince and all, he always had guards to watch him wherever he went, picking him up before he could fall and watching his every movement to ensure that he never got a scratch on his body. 

It figured that the _one time_ Phil told his guards to wait outside, he got himself hurt. And Dan was doing absolutely _nothing_ but laughing. Ophelia was letting out these loud barks as well, mimicking him, and Phil didn’t even bother trying to figure out where Atlas went. He didn’t care at all. He _hoped_ he was hurt. 

“You’re laughing?!” Phil grumbled, acid in his tone. He took a step closer to Dan, pointing his free, unbloodied hand to his chest. “I command you to stop right this instance.”

“Oh sure, Prince,” Dan snorted, but his giggles didn’t stop. He pressed his hand to his mouth, hiding his smile. But it didn’t hide the sparkle in his eye that let Phil know to what extent he was laughing at him. “Did you also want me to bandage you up and send you off with a gift basket?”

A strange feeling bubbled in Phil’s stomach, but he couldn’t quite put a finger on what it was. It almost felt like he was embarrassed, his abdomen was clenching and a feeling of disgust crawling up his throat. He screwed his mouth into a grimace and turned away. “ _Forget it_ ,” he said stiffly, finally looking around for Atlas. He found him perched on the back of a chair, crouched down as if afraid. “I’m leaving. Atlas, come with me.” 

As if summoned (and with a slightly wounded expression on his face), Atlas flapped his wings and flew back over to Phil’s shoulder. Phil tried his hardest not to be amazed. So what if Atlas understood him? It wasn’t anything groundbreaking. Maybe it had just happened by chance. 

“No, no. Now wait a moment,” Dan sighed out as Phil began to stalk over to the front door. Phil didn’t stop, but he did slow down a little bit. “Let me patch you up. It wouldn’t do to have the entire royal guard put upon me because their precious prince got himself bitten. That’d be quite unfortunate.” 

Phil wasn’t going to stop. He _wasn’t._ But then Dan strode up to him, reaching him before he could reach for the door handle, and putting a soft hand on Phil’s shoulder. It was strange, almost like an out of body experience, which was ridiculous in and of itself because it shouldn’t have been that big of a deal. 

But it was. For some reason, Phil’s mind decided that it was such a huge deal that another human was touching him. The only other person who wasn't Phil’s family who touched him was his guard, Lennyx, but even she didn’t touch him all that freely. Nobody touched Phil as freely as he did just then. 

In fact, Phil doesn’t believe he’s ever been touched by another townsperson before. 

He sort of… he didn’t want to say he melted, because he _didn’t_. He just. Froze. Became completely immobile. His body completely ignored the way his mind screamed at him to walk back outside and instead turned to face Dan once more. 

“Hurry up, then,” he said. His voice was somewhat shaky and he berated himself for showing weakness. The blood on his ear and hand was drying and making him feel dirty and disgusting, and the claws Atlas was digging into his shoulder was beginning to hurt. He wondered how much bigger Atlas was going to get, and whether this shoulder business was going to continue being a thing. “My guards are waiting for me.”

Dan hushed him and once again grabbed him, this time by the wrist. Phil bit back a snide comment about touching him and instead fell completely silent as Dan led him to the kitchen. He felt as if he was floating through a dream as Dan pulled out a chair and commanded he sit on it. Phil listened because he didn’t know what to do, because his ear was hurting, because he was so tired he could barely focus anymore. He just wanted to get this over with, lock Atlas in a cage so he didn’t kill his family, and learn how to properly train his dragon so he could get away from Dan and never speak with him again.

The dragon tamer worked on filling up a bucket from the sink, one that was metal and somewhat rusty, which made Phil want to turn his nose up at. He didn’t. If he complained then he would have to explain what had happened to his ear and he _really_ didn’t feel like putting his only hope for training Atlas up for death row just yet. He let himself get lost in thought, furrowing his eyebrows at his lap as he listened to the water running, slowly but surely filling the bucket. 

“This might hurt a little,” Dan said, and Phil looked up in time just as an entire bucket of water was poured over his head. 

His first instinct was to inhale sharply, water shooting down his throat and making him cough violently. A loud, enraged squawk alerted him that Atlas had also been a victim of the crime. He could feel the wetness soaking into his nicest shirt, chilling him to the bone and making gooseflesh rise on his arms. “You- You _parasite_!” Phil gasped, standing abruptly and pushing his sopping wet hair out of his face to glower at Dan. Dan, who was biting his lip in attempts to hold his laughter in. “What in _God’s name_ was that for?!”

“Oh sit down, you numpty,” Dan sighed dramatically, putting a hand on Phil’s shoulder to push him back down. “I needed to clean the wound and I didn’t feel like getting any washcloths. This was the next best option.”

“You _drenched_ me. How was that necessary?”

“Nothing a dragon can’t fix,” Dan told him, grabbing a towel from the counter and drying his hands off. Phil gaped at him. Was he seriously saying he didn’t want to get a washcloth when there was a towel right there? At this point, it was obvious that Dan just wanted to mess with him. Didn’t he understand that Phil could literally put him to his death, or was he just stupid? “Wait here for a moment while I get Macbeth.”

“Macbeth?” Phil asked flatly. “Another Shakespearean name? Are you really that much of a fan?”

Dan waved a dismissive hand at him, making his way to the door and stepping outside. “Did you forget already that they name themselves, Prince?” He then left Phil by himself, in an unfamiliar house, soaking wet and shivering. In all of the twenty-three years Phil had been alive, he can’t remember ever having met someone as infuriating and ludicrous as Daniel Howell. 

From what Phil knew about Dan so far, all of the rumours seemed to be true. He didn’t respect people, didn’t particularly like humans. He hated those in position of power and only cared about his dragons. But then there were things that Phil picked up that nobody had mentioned before. Like how he cracked jokes at every opportunity and never seemed to quit smiling. He had multiple dragons named after Shakespeare characters and seemed to be able to talk to and _understand_ what his dragons were saying. He was unlike anyone Phil had ever met, unique in a way that Phil didn’t know was good or bad. 

“I have a bad feeling about him,” Phil grumbled under his breath, even though Atlas was the only one who was listening. The dragon made a sad noise from the chair he was perched on, biting at his sodden feathers. Perhaps Atlas didn’t like Dan either, but it was hard to tell when Phil couldn’t understand him. 

They sat in silence, Phil’s hair slowly beginning to stop dripping, until a loud crash from the door alerted Phil’s attention. He and Atlas watched as the door swung open and Dan started to back in. “Careful, careful!” he exclaimed, waving his hands. “If you or Montresor scratch a single floorboard, I will cut all of your nails off. No ifs, ands, or buts about it!” There was a huff and a grunt and Phil watched with widening eyes as two rather large dragons began to squeeze themselves through the doorway. “Hey, hey! One at a time! Don’t shove, that’s rude, Macbeth.”

Phil couldn’t stop himself from gaping at the scene unfolding before him. One of the dragons had a dog-like appearance with sky blue fur, a long tail, and four paws. There were wings sprouting from its back and a pouf on its tail that looked kind of like a cloud. It had dark blue eyes, a black nose, and long claws extending from its paws. When it whined, Phil could see a couple dozen sharp teeth and a black tongue poking out of its mouth. It was large, about as big as a Lion.

The other dragon looked much more like the classic dragon that Phil was so used to seeing portrayed. Its scales were completely black but shone red in the light and it had spiderweb wings that stretched out far behind it. There were two horns on its head, long and winding, and it walked on two legs, much like Atlas did. Its face was covered in armor-like scales that were so pointed, they looked like spikes. Phil didn’t want to pet it unlike how he wanted to with the other one. 

“Phew!” Dan exclaimed when the dragons were finally situated inside of the house. He wiped away some imaginary sweat and threw an arm around the black dragon, which looked a little hilarious considering the dragon was a good eight feet tall and _much_ wider than him. If possible, the dragon tried to appear smaller to accommodate for Dan’s size. Phil thought it was weird. “Anyways. This is Montresor,” Dan said, referring to the black dragon. “He was jealous when I invited Macbeth to meet you and not him. He wants to be friends. And _this_ -” he gestured to the dog-like dragon “-is Macbeth. _Lady_ Macbeth, if you will. She’s going to dry you off for me.”

“Uh. Nice to meet you?” Phil asked slowly, voice unsure. In all honesty, how was he supposed to react to a dragon wanting to be his friend? And what did Dan mean when he said Macbeth was going to dry him off? Phil’s head was beginning to hurt from confusion. “Montresor, huh?” Phil added on, watching with narrowed eyes as Dan made his way over to him once more, Macbeth and Montresor in tow. “Don’t tell me he’s named that because he’s murderous and vengeful and wants to kill his friend? Because otherwise I’m going to have to decline his offer for friendship.”

For a moment, Dan seemed almost taken aback, his eyebrows raising so high that Phil feared they would fly off his forehead entirely. Then, he threw his head back and laughed. It echoed throughout the entire house, making Phil’s ears ring and his lips twitch upwards slightly. Dan’s laugh was so high-pitched and hyena like that it was hard not to be entertained by it. “I’m proud. You’ve begun to understand how to make jokes! An extravagant accomplishment, Prince.” 

“Thanks,” Phil muttered. Dan put his fingers under his chin and tilted his head to the side, observing the wound. Phil wondered if pouring water on his head had actually done anything to clean it or if Dan just wanted to do it because he had the chance. He squirmed uncomfortably under Dan’s scrutiny, his cheeks heating up and his chin burning where Dan touched. It was idiotic how flustered he could get just from someone new touching him. Pathetic. 

Dan hummed and grabbed the towel that he’d used to dry his hands off earlier. Turning on the sink, he ran it under the water and then pressed it back to Phil’s ear, dabbing at it. Phil hissed as beads of water ran down the side of his neck and under his shirt collar. “Anyways,” Dan said mindlessly, “Montresor had only killed one of his friends, but that was years ago, far before he met me. He would never do anything like that again.” 

Phil scoffed. “Sounds promising. I’d totally be friends with a _murderer_.” 

At that, Montresor let out a growl and bared his teeth, making Phil flinch backwards. Dan laughed at him, to which Phil glared at him the best he could when in such an awkward position. “Leave him alone, Monty. He’s just pulling your leg, mate.” The tamer pulled away from Phil’s wound, admiring his work with his hands on his hips. He clapped his hands loudly. “Great! Macbeth, do your magic and then we’ll bandage him up!” 

Macbeth stepped forward and Phil eyed her suspiciously, immediately feeling his shoulders tense up with anticipation. He had no idea what she was going to do, but considering she was a dragon, he assumed it wasn’t going to be pretty. She nudged his cheek with her nose, something that he was sure was supposed to be comforting, but made him feel rather disgusted instead. Her nose was so _wet_ and _slimy_. How dare she dirty up the prince! She opened her mouth, showing those sharp rows of teeth, and Phil squinted his eyes shut, bracing himself. 

Whatever he expected to happen didn’t happen. 

Instead of being eaten or set on fire or _whatever_ , he felt his entire body warm up with heat. He could feel his hair and clothes drying quickly and could only assume that somehow Macbeth was heating him up enough to dry him completely. Using her breath? Gross. Dragons were strange creatures. 

It didn’t take long at all for Phil to be completely dried off, but when they were done, he was sweating profusely from the heat. He frowned in disgust and took the wet towel from Dan, dabbing at his forehead. “That was awful,” Phil told the dragon tamer. 

Dan scoffed. “Comes in handy, as I’m sure you can tell. You’re much better off dry anyways. It’s a small price to pay.” He busied himself with grabbing some ointment and bandages and worked on patching Phil up then. They were in complete silence other than the occasional grunt from Phil or snuff from the other four dragons in the room. Phil had already worn out his chatter from speaking to Dan so much, so he simply didn’t try to make conversation. They were too different anyways, so there was really nothing to speak about. Once he was finally finished, Dan clapped and admired his work. “Great! Brand new!”

“Great,” Phil mimicked, standing up. He nodded in thanks to Dan, feeling much more sated that they weren’t constantly bickering, and began to gather his things. Which included Atlas among those things, apparently, as he squawked and flew to sit on Phil’s shoulder. “Well, Tamer, it was a pleasure getting to know you but I must be heading off now.”

Dan smiled, and for the first time Phil didn’t feel as if he was mocking him. “Likewise. I’ll look forward to your company tomorrow. Perhaps we can introduce Atlas to the rest of my family.”

For a moment, Phil gave Dan a quizzical stare before realising that Dan’s dragons were considered his family. Phil nodded despite the fact and began to walk towards the front door, relieved that he was finally able to get out of there. “Good evening, Tamer.”

“Have a good night, Prince Philip.”

Phil shut the door behind him before Dan decided to change his mind and tease him more, sighing loudly. Lennyx gave him a concerned look, which Phil waved off. “It’s been an eventful night. Let’s go home.”

“Who’s your new friend, Prince Philip?” Lennyx asked quietly, trailing behind Phil slowly. 

Phil glanced to his shoulder and shrugged, making Atlas fight to regain his balance for a moment. “His name’s Atlas.” He didn’t try to correct her and say that Atlas wasn’t his friend. He was far too tired to deal with that conversation. 

-

He locked Atlas in a cage, and the dragon was less than happy about it. He growled and hissed and threw his body against the bars, trying his hardest to get out. He bit at the metal, leaving behind horrible scratch marks that made Phil fear the cage would give out. It didn’t. He eventually fell asleep to the sound of Atlas screeching angrily, shivering because he was such a terrible beast and Phil could only imagine what pain the dragon could bring upon his family.

That night, he dreamt of dragons ransacking his kingdom. When they screeched, fire came out of their mouths, scorching the town. Black smoke danced into the sky, creating black shadows against the darkening blue. Screams pierced his ears and there was the smell of fear in the air. No matter how much Phil screamed, no matter how much he cried, the dragons would not stop destroying his beloved kingdom. 

Until they did. He didn’t know what happened, his dream hazy and beginning to feel like it was all in slow motion. One moment, the dragons were setting fire to the town, and the next, a loud whistle sounded in the air and the beasts were flying back towards the ground, settling down like statues and not making any sound. They didn’t move, they didn’t make a peep. They were waiting, watching, _listening_ to a figure stood in front of them. Phil squinted his eyes, but he was too far away to make sense of what he saw. 

The figure was tall, definitely a human, and was waving their hands around wildly. They had a flash of brown hair and dark green robes, and that was all that Phil could see. The dragons followed their every move with their eyes. And then the figure was pointing to the sky and the beasts were taking off once more, this time away from the city and towards the mountains. 

“Hey!” Phil called to the figure, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to get their attention. He knew that he had to thank them, thank them for saving his city. “Thank you! You saved the city!” 

For a moment, the figure didn’t turn. Phil figured that they didn’t hear his calls. He yelled once more, and it was that that made the person turn their head, looking straight into Phil’s face, and Phil felt all of the air in his lungs leave his body. The person smiled at him and Phil’s mouth opened to call his name-

A pain in Phil’s leg woke him up, making him scream in frustration and surprise. “What in God’s name!” He screeched, scrambling away from the offending pain and kicking his legs haphazardly. He felt himself kick an object, sending it flying across the room. 

Blinking his bleary eyes open, he locked his gaze on Atlas, who was _fuming._ He was squawking angrily at Phil, flapping his wings, practically screaming. It took Phil a full minute to realise that Atlas was not inside of his cage. When he did realise, his eyes widened and he looked over to the cage to find that Atlas had chewed through the metal. Crazy bastard. 

“How in the world did you do that?” Phil grumbled, massaging his bruising ankle. By the time Atlas was a grown dragon, Phil would probably have lost a limb. He couldn’t deny that he was rather terrified of the dragon, especially knowing that Atlas would grow up into a full-sized one someday. It was horrifying. 

As expected, Atlas didn’t answer Phil’s question. Instead, Phil watched through suspicious eyes as he crept back towards Phil, so carefully that it seemed as if he was just waiting for Phil to push him away. When he didn’t, he settled by his side and pushed his face against Phil’s hand. A low rumbling sound erupted from Atlas’ throat, and Phil gaped at him as he continued to nuzzle against Phil’s palm. 

Was… was he a _cat_? What the Hell? 

Phil shook his head to clear his thoughts and mindlessly started to scratch Atlas’ ear, which only intensified the rumbling. Was it safe to call it purring? Was that a thing dragons could do? 

“You really are something,” Phil mused, for once feeling his nerves about the whole dragon ordeal melting away. His lips turned upwards despite himself. “Alright fine. Since a cage obviously can’t hold you, you can sleep by me. But you’re not allowed to harm my family or cause any damage. Do we have a deal?”

Atlas made a happy noise and licked Phil’s palm with a thin black tongue. Phil wrinkled his nose in disgust, wiping the germs off of his hand on the sheets. 

Phil sighed and laid back against his pillows, shutting his eyes. Having a dragon out of a cage was probably the worst idea he’d ever had. Hopefully Atlas could be good enough to not do anything stupid for just one night. 

How could Phil deny him anyways with him curled up in a ball underneath his palm, anyways? 

Come morning, nothing was destroyed and it was an utter miracle. Phil couldn’t help himself from praising the beast, giving Atlas a good chin scratch and a thumbs up. 

All was well and Phil was in a surprisingly pleasant mood, floating down the corridors with his new companion sat on his shoulder like a fancy parrot. Nothing could ruin his mood, not even a dragon attack or declaration of war. He wouldn’t _let_ anyone destroy his mood. 

Until a knock sounded on his bedchamber door. 

“Prince Philip?” Lennyx asked through the wood. Her voice was full of hesitation, as if she was afraid of his answer. It was nonsense, considering Lennyx was the closest he had to a friend. 

“Lennyx?” Phil asked dismissively, turning to the next page in his book. Atlas batted at the page with his claw, leaving Phil to push him away gently. 

“Erm- You have a visitor, sir?”

Phil straightened and looked at the clock. It was half two and he wasn’t expecting company until four. Who could be visiting him at this hour? “Who is requesting my presence?”

“It- erm-” 

She never finished what she was saying before the door was pushed open so forcefully that the door crashed against the wall. Phil spun around to glare at the culprit, his hand clenching so far that his nails dug into his palm. Who dares to open his door without his permission?

Brown hair, brown eyes, lazy smile on his face. It was Dan, seemingly not caring about Phil’s input. He had Ophelia perched in the pocket of his tunic and his hair was more curly than usual. It really gave him that ‘weird dragon tamer’ look. “My Lord! Fancy seeing you here!”

Phil scowled at him, standing up. He ignored the happy squawk from Atlas upon seeing Ophelia and instead focused all of his attention on Dan and not _killing him._ “What in God’s name do you mean by that? I _live_ here!” He exclaimed, crossing his hands over his chest. “And why have you barged into my room without permission? I could put you to death for that.”

Dan crinkled his nose and perched on the edge of Phil’s desk, crossing his arms over his chest. He raised his eyebrows at the way Atlas was practically glued to Phil’s side, but otherwise didn’t mention it. Yet. “You always threaten death and yet I’m still living,” he sighed dramatically. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you may even want me alive.”

“Don’t get full of yourself,” Phil deadpanned, but his cheeks filled with colour despite himself. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and to keep his expression neutral. “Explain yourself, Tamer. Why are you here so early?”

“I need to keep you on your toes somehow,” Dan replied, raising his eyebrows in what seemed to be a challenge. Phil was prepared to take the challenge if he needed to. There was no way he was going to let a lowly dragon tamer beat him at anything, no matter what it was. Especially when he wasn’t respecting Phil’s privacy. “I figured that we should get a head start on getting you used to Atlas. Especially considering you put him in a cage last night.” He cast a pointed glance to the broken cage and Phil huffed. “Not very bright on your end. You’ve ruined a perfectly good cage.” 

“ _Me_?!” Phil exclaimed, standing up. Atlas nibbled on his cheek and Phil swatted at him. “Don’t you mean Atlas? He’s the one who broke out of it!”

Dan laughed, loud and filling the room with his booming voice. “Ah yes, but you were the one idiotic enough to put a dragon in a cage.” He held his arm out and clicked his tongue. Atlas made a squealing noise and flew over to Dan, landing on his arm, his nails digging into the man’s skin. Dan didn’t flinch, even though Phil cringed. “Now enough whining. Shall we train you on how to handle the beasts?”

“And by train me, you mean train Atlas, correct?”

Dan just snickered and patted Phil on the head. Lennyx pointed her sword at him but he didn’t seem to care in the slightest, waving his hand at her dismissively. “Put that down, Lennyx. To murder the heir to the throne in his own castle is a childish action. I would not waste my life for such a cause.” 

“Then keep your hands to yourself, Tamer,” Lennyx commanded, and Phil was grateful that she would at least attempt to control Dan for Phil’s sake. 

“Alright, alright,” Dan said. He frowned and Phil watched as Ophelia crawled out of his pocket to perch next to Atlas on his shoulder. “No touching unless the Prince requests it. Got it. Now can we _please_ train the prince before I stick my dragons on him.”

Phil hid his red cheeks with a scoff and ordered Dan to leave his bedchamber so he could change into something more suited for training. Surprisingly, Dan obeyed, but only after a sharp nudge in the back with the tip Lennyx’s sword. 

He didn’t know how he had gotten himself into such a situation. Even now, the thought baffled him. Here, he had a tiny dragon named Atlas curled by his fireplace ( _purring,_ of all things) and a lunatic tamer waiting outside his room while he got changed into the strongest armor he owned. His armor was slim yet strong, made from dragon scales, diamond, and gold melded together. When it glittered in the sunshine, it shimmered, leaving rainbows on every surface. It was passed down through generations of the royal family in case war struck the land. 

He never imagined he’d have to use it for dragon taming. 

With a mighty sigh, he opened the doors and shuffled out, ignoring the expression of amusement Dan had on his face. Instead he focused on Atlas and how he immediately perched on his shoulder, alert and ready to follow him wherever he went. If he didn’t know better, he would assume Atlas has already foregone training, but he supposed it was just the imprinting that made Atlas want to be by his side. 

“Armor won’t help you much, I’m afraid,” Dan said conversationally as they walked through the hallways. The sound of Lennyx’s heavy armor and the clinking of Phil’s own resonated through the artfully decorated halls. The noise didn’t seem to bother Dan at all. In fact, he was rather relaxed, trailing his hands over the various pieces of art framed on the walls as they passed. 

Phil’s eyes were drawn to his fingertips as they caressed yet another painting, one that displayed various greek Gods fighting in the sky. “It is better than nothing, I assume,” Phil clipped back. “I’d rather have some protection than nothing but my bare skin.”

Dan hummed and turned those dark eyes onto Phil. They burned into him like fire. “You won’t be saying that when you’re burning to a crisp, unable to get the scalding metal off of your body.” 

Lennyx jabbed him in the back, but Dan didn’t even flinch, not even when she muttered, “Do not threaten the Prince.” 

Instead, he smiled. “I’m just stating a fact. Dragons are much stronger and smarter than the average human. Our dear Prince could _easily_ get turned into food.”

“I’d much rather live to see you fall to your own death,” Phil snarled back. It was harsh, but he couldn’t remember the last time somebody got under his skin as much as Dan did. If he didn’t need Dan so much right then, he would gladly send him to his own beheading. 

They bickered until the back courtyard came into view, two guards opening the large double doors that led out of the castle. Dan whistled at the sight, and Phil didn’t blame him. Dan had used the front doors before, yet he hadn’t seen the backyard until then.

Smooth stone layered the ground, creating a safe space to walk and dance and _train_. There were columns that led to a large fountain further down, a statue of a siren spitting water in the middle. Flowers lined the entire area, patches of lavender and bushes of white roses. There were ten-foot-tall sunflowers growing along a white fence and exotic birds sang in greeting. It was a pretty courtyard, and Phil was fully aware of it. Sometimes when he felt like being away from his princely tasks, he even found himself coming here to read, basking in the songbirds and floral scents. 

“Are you sure you want this place burned to the ground?” Dan asked, and Phil couldn’t tell whether he was kidding or not. 

“If a single flower is set out of place by you or your dragons, I will incinerate you myself,” Phil told him simply, earning a hearty laugh from Dan. 

“Very well. I’ll take you up on that challenge. Now come, let’s begin your training.”

-

Phil let out a loud groan as he was thrown against the ground for the fifth time, his head knocking against the stone. He was bruised and bloody, parts of his skin burnt underneath his armor, and there was sweat and dirt coating his brow. 

He laid there for a moment, panting, staring at the puffy white clouds in the sky. He didn’t understand why training was so hard. Originally, he’d thought training a dragon would be more like training a dog. But he couldn’t have been more wrong. 

Training a dragon was like training a cat. A cat with wings. And the ability to breathe fire. Despite his shrunken appearance, Atlas was far stronger than Phil could ever wish to be, even being so tiny. Dragons were always known for being the strongest creatures in the world, but Phil hadn’t known to what extent until now. With just a swipe of his claw, he could send Phil flying across the courtyard and into a rosebush. Phil would demand him to listen and Atlas would chuckle fire through his nose. 

It was exhausting and physically demanding. Not to mention _infuriating_ , especially when Dan was standing on the sidelines _laughing_ each time Atlas threw Phil to the ground. Phil would _love_ to see Dan thrown to the ground, but whenever the dragons even went near him in a threatening manner, all he had to do was raise a finger and they turned back towards Phil. 

Has he mentioned how much he disliked Dan?

His view of the sky was interrupted by an obnoxious black figure and Phil groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes. “Leave me for dead,” he said dramatically, flinching only a little bit when Dan nudged his side with a bare foot. “I mean it. I can’t go on anymore. Tell my family I love them and that I died a stoic death.”

“Are you always this dramatic?” Dan mused, and Phil didn't have to look up to know that he was kneeling beside him. 

“I’m not dramatic. I’m _realistic_ ,” Phil grumbled, letting his arm fall to the side so he could sit up. He squinted at Dan, his head throbbing with pain. He was sure he looked a right mess, blood trickling down his forehead, a burn on his cheek. But when he caught Dan’s eyes, he blinked once. Then twice to see if his eyes were deceiving him. 

They weren’t. Dan’s smile was clear as day. Not taunting, not sarcastic. He was smiling so softly that his eyes reminded Phil of those fancy chocolates his mum brought him from Ulranias, the ones with melted caramel in the middle. There was a light smile on his lips and a dimple sitting in his cheek. There was a much different aura surrounding him than usual, one that was almost delicate, as if Phil could see his true personality under the sarcastic exterior. It absolutely took his breath away. 

And then it was gone. Like a light going out, Dan’s soft expression faded into a smirk and his eyebrows raised playfully. “So the Prince can’t handle even a bit of play, I see. We’ll have to work on your stamina, you and I.” He winked and Phil was still too shocked from Dan’s earlier sentiment to hide his red cheeks. 

The playful flirting was almost too much for Phil to handle. Sure, he’d been flirted with before, especially when his parents were trying to get him to court young maidens, but never before had anybody insinuated something so _dirty_ so soon upon meeting. And never before had it been a man who’d been trying to flirt with him. 

The whole situation made Phil feel quite faint, but that could also be from hitting his head many times on the ground. He didn’t know how to respond, so he just sent Dan one of his famous glares. “Quit that,” Phil muttered, dusting himself off and flinching as Atlas perched on his shoulder. He couldn’t help but remember how the little dragon had sucker punched him only moments before, sending him to near death. “I’m done for today. Lennyx will see you out.”

“As you wish,” Dan mused, and he gave a bow that seemed quite mocking. It was the best Phil was going to get from him, he knew that now, so he didn't complaint this time. “I’ll see you for the continuation of our training tomorrow. Don’t stay up too late if you want to do better tomorrow.”

Phil scoffed and turned his back, marching away from Dan. He didn’t say goodbye, but he didn’t reckon Dan minded his lack of manners. At the moment though, he didn’t want to face the dragon tamer. He would see him tomorrow. 

And he didn’t really want him to comment on how red his cheeks had gotten, anyway. 

-

Unbeknownst to Phil, dragons grew at an alarmingly fast pace. So when he awoke one morning to Atlas, a whole foot larger than he originally was, sitting on his chest, Phil let out a (very manly) shriek. 

“What-?!” he exclaimed, eyes wide. He scrambled away from the creature, pushing Atlas from his chest in the process. In turn, Atlas let out a loud screech, sitting on the bed and lapping at his claws like a wounded cat. A low hissing noise was filling the room, emanating from the dragon’s throat. “What the hell! How did you get so big so quickly?!”

It had only been a few weeks since the dragon had hatched and he seemed to have grown a foot overnight. _Impossible._

Nevertheless, Atlas made a clicking noise with his tongue, followed by a few chirps. Phil scoffed and sat up in bed, rubbing his head. He glared at the animal. “Don’t get that tone with me,” he admonished, glaring at his dragon. 

Atlas snorted and Phil _swore_ he rolled his eyes. Phil pointed his finger at him and shook his head. “No! I’m not _stupid_! You’re just abnormal.” Atlas hummed. Phil continued to shake his head. “No. No way. Now get off of me right this instance. I need to get ready so the tamer can continue to teach me how to deal with you.”

Training had honestly been going surprisingly well. Of course, Phil would rather be doing other things with his spare time, but he supposed it could go worse. Sure, Atlas had a knack for setting his finest robes on fire, but Phil always got him back in one way or another. Even if Dan _did_ laugh at him the entire time his butt caught on fire. 

He was halfway through getting ready before he finally realised that he had spoken with Atlas and had actually _understood_ what the dragon had said. How could that be? He’d only known Atlas for a week. Not a month, not a year. A _week_. And he was already understanding his mannerisms enough to decipher what he was saying? 

“ _You_!” Phil growled without thinking, twirling on his heel until he was staring at Atlas, cuffing his sleeves. Atlas froze, his tongue sticking out from his beak as he had been trying to eat the rabbit Phil had left him for breakfast. His golden eyes were wide and he truly looked like a deer in the headlights. “How did you do that? How did I understand what you were saying?”

Atlas squawked and Phil narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t seem to comprehend that he was actually _hearing_ something in those noises, not quite a voice, but something that he could make sense of and translate into english. He didn’t know how, didn’t understand, but he knew he needed to do ask the one and only person who knew anything and everything about the creatures. 

Dan.

The tamer stared at him as he asked, before bursting into loud laughter. He shook his head, wiped away invisible tears, and Phil just stared at him emotionlessly until he was finished. In his opinion, the question was quite serious. Nothing to be laughed about, that’s for sure. 

“You finished?” Phil asked, unimpressed, as Dan’s laughter quieted down and turned into soft wheezing noises instead. He was such a basket case, but Phil wasn’t proud to admit that he was actually getting quite used to this. How wouldn’t he, after spending nearly every day with the man? 

Dan snorted and wiped his brow off with a handkerchief he’d grabbed from Phil’s nightstand. Then he paused, looked at Phil’s face, and held up a finger as a way of saying ‘ _one more second_ ’ before he burst into laughter once more. Finally, _finally_ , when he was done, he tsked at Phil. “You and Atlas have a bond, my Prince! A very fine bond, if I do say so myself. It is not very often that humans can find themselves easily understanding the beasts, but on rare occasion it is quite possible. Atlas seems to have chosen you for companionship.” Dan smirked and stroked down Ophelia’s back. “You are _truly_ his mother now.”

Phil grumbled at that, but didn’t fight Dan. He’s known Dan for long enough by now that he knew he would get nowhere with complaining, only succeeding in petty arguments when Phil would rather just save his breath. He was well aware by now that perhaps he _was_ sort of like a mother to Atlas by now. He fed him, raised him, trained him, and cared for him more than his own mum had ever done for him. Phil may as well just accept that fact. 

Slightly dejected by Phil’s lack of fighting back, Dan frowned a bit, but it didn’t stay. His frowns never stayed long enough to be worrying. If there was one more thing about Dan that Phil didn’t understand, it was that he was always smiling no matter what. Full teeth and everything. It gave him a slightly unsettling air, but Phil had gotten used to that as well. 

He found out the reason why when they were standing under the stars, watching as Ophelia and Atlas tussled on the ground. The evening was quiet and the crickets were chirping and for once, Phil could feel himself easing into comfort. He sat on the grass, throwing his legs out from under him and laying back, staring at the night sky. 

Dan was beside him, sitting cross-legged on the ground. Lady Macbeth’s head was in his lap and he was brushing through her blue fur, scratching behind her ears. She was rumbling in her chest, deep and somewhat terrifying, but weirdly endearing at the same time. When Phil glanced over to him, he could see the way his smile was still curling up the corners of his mouth. That had been the moment when Phil had first realised that Dan never stopped grinning, and a question was out before he could really stop it.

“Do you ever stop smiling?” The question wasn’t mean, didn’t have a sharp edge to it. In fact, it was curious, a general question, almost as if he had just asked what the weather was like. 

If Dan was uncomfortable by the inquiry, he didn’t show it. He just hummed and leaned forward, pressing a kiss on his dragon’s head. He scruffed her ears a bit more and then cast a look to the stars, mindlessly running his fingers down her back. His face was contemplative as he paused, and there was something lonely about his eyes. They were soft and sparkled with a million different colours under the night sky. And yet, he seemed vulnerable for a split second, his face smoothing out before tensing again into that same smile. 

That expression made Phil realise just how much he didn’t know about this man. He’d listened to every rumour there was about Dan, knew what he was like, how he’d come to live on Rose Mountain, and yet there were so many things that Phil didn’t actually _know_. What had happened to his parents? Why does he not care for humans? Why did he rely on his dragons so much?

As Dan opened his mouth, his voice was quite serious for once. He didn’t take his eyes off of the sky. “The kingdom that I came from was not a nice one. There was war and famine and my family was very poor. I was the youngest child out of eight and the kingdom was essentially overflowing with too many people and not enough food. The King was not a benevolent king. In the night, he would come and take the youngest child away from families with too many children, and they would never be seen again.” 

Phil’s blood ran cold. He’d heard stories of some kingdoms doing this, but he had always been taught that these events were not real, that they were fairy tales made to scare the people into submission. He had no idea that there had actually been kingdoms that had practiced such an act. 

For once, Phil saw Dan frown, furrow his eyebrows. He was thinking hard, probably about the memory that was threatening to spill from his mouth. “I was four years old when the King showed up at our hut. I heard him as soon as he entered, the door squeaking open at the dead of the night. My mum had also heard him, because she was by my side, pushing me out the window and telling me to leave with my eldest sister.” Dan shook his head, closing his eyes. “I don’t remember what she told me, but she kissed my forehead and then gave my sister directions. The next thing I knew, my sister was dragging me away. We walked until the sun set the next night, until we came to some mountains, and then she told me to go find some water at a brook nearby. When I came back to give her some of the water, she was gone. She’d left me there so that the King wouldn’t take me away.” 

“What in God’s name?” Phil whispered, absolutely appalled. He didn’t really understand the sentiment there, and he spoke his feelings about it aloud. “What was that supposed to accomplish? They helped you escape the King and then left you in the mountains to die? How does that even make sense?!”

A laugh bubbled out of Dan’s throat and his head lolled to the side, almost like he wanted to set his head on Phil’s shoulder only to find that his shoulder wasn’t even there. He kept his head there anyways, staring out at where Atlas and Ophelia had tired out and instead laid down for a cat nap. “They knew what they were doing. My sister had left me in a location with drinking water and plenty of food. I think they hoped that I could take care of myself until help came.” He snorted once more. Phil didn’t know what was so funny. “I just don’t think they knew a bloody _dragon_ would be the one who helped me. By the time Dryas came, I was a right mess. I was young and hadn’t understood language fully, much less how to maintain facial expression. Over time, I kind of just lost all of my interpersonal skills. After all, you don’t really need them when you live with a beast. So the only thing I really knew how to do for a long time was smile when I was happy and cry when I was sad.”

“But you know how to interact with humans now. So why do you still have trouble with that?”

“Oh Phil,” Dan sighed, and Phil didn’t miss the use of his name rather than his title. Normally he would correct Dan, but he felt as though this was an intense moment between the two of them, one filled with trust and healing. Phil didn’t want to destroy this atmosphere, so he simply allowed the mistake to pass him by. “I only started to interact with humans about five years ago when your kingdom’s citizens had found my cabin. I’m afraid that deep-rooted issues such as that don’t really clear up in such a short amount of time, so while I may express more facial expressions than I used to, so I’m still working on portraying what I’m feeling to other people.”

Phil sat up, staring at the side of Dan’s head. His curls were a bit more tamed today, but still unruly, and his skin glowed in the night air. He didn’t know until now just how much that they had in common. While Phil had trouble with interaction due to his royal standing (a direct correlation to lack of empathy in the castle), Dan had trouble because he had been living in solitude for _fourteen years_. 

That fact alone made Phil put his hand on Dan’s shoulder, mustering a tiny smile. The action made Dan look over at him, face soft once more. He looked young, not at all like the 23 year old that he was. Phil’s chest hurt and he didn’t know why. “Well, you’re doing a great job,” Phil told him awkwardly. “At, you know. Talking to me and stuff.”

Dan grinned, and then he was wrapping his arms around Phil’s shoulders, bringing him in for a hug. Phil stiffened, but Dan’s body was warm against the chilled air of the night, and he ended up burying his face into Dan’s neck, wrapping his arms around Dan’s waist as well. He could head Lady Macbeth’s snores coming from Dan’s lap, but he could also hear the crickets and the small puffs of breath with each of Dan’s exhales. “You’re not so bad yourself,” Dan breathed, making Phil shiver.

Phil’s chest was so constricted that he could barely breathe. He’d never really felt like this, the exception being when his grandfather had passed away and Phil couldn’t grasp that fact. This was different though. With his grandfather, Phil had been incredibly sad, so sad that he didn’t know what to do with himself. But with Dan, while Phil was sad about Dan’s story, he didn’t feel the crushing weight of the world on his shoulders. Instead, his stomach was fuzzy and his cheeks were flushed, and he didn’t understand what was happening to him. Maybe he was getting a stomach bug. 

They were holding onto each other for a little bit too long, so Phil gave Dan one extra squeeze before releasing him, backing away. His face was hot and he didn’t meet Dan’s eyes due to embarrassment for letting his guard down. It’d been _years_ since Phil had given somebody a hug. He hadn’t realised just how much he missed doing so, the embrace making his skin warm and filling him with so much comfort that he could probably fall asleep like that. 

He looked around, made eye contact with Lennyx, who had been keeping an eye on them, from across the yard. She smirked and Phil glared back, embarrassed at himself for letting himself feel something other than indifference.

Beside him, Dan lightly pushed Lady Macbeth away from his lap and stood up, stretching his arms above his head. His shirt rode up slightly, showing some of the soft skin from his stomach, and Phil’s eyes were drawn to the area, admiring how squishy and soft he looked and how the moonlight made his skin a milky white colour. Then Dan was offering Phil his hand, and Phil tore his eyes away in order to grasp Dan’s hand to pull himself up.

“We better go get some sleep,” Dan murmured quietly, and Phil just nodded his head in agreement. They had a long day of training ahead of them the next day. Dan turned and whistled to Ophelia, who immediately scrambled up from her resting place to scurry up Dan’s leg and onto his shoulder. Lady Macbeth followed close behind, towering behind them like their own personal guard. And that she was. 

Phil’s own dragon joined his side and Phil ran a hand through his feathers, ruffling them slightly between his fingers. The action made Atlas chirp happily, and Phil smile gingerly. “It was a good night, though,” Phil said casually. He tilted his head back and stared at the sky, noting how the stars winked at him, applauding him for trying to actually make conversation for once. “I feel like I know you a lot better now. You didn’t have to tell me about your tragic background story, but you did, and that was a brave thing to do, especially when I’m not exactly… the _nicest_ person there is.” 

Dan bumped their shoulders together. “For the record, I think you’re a lovely person.” A pause. “When you’re not being an ass.”

Phil glared at him. “I can still have you beheaded,” Phil threatened, with no real heat behind his words.

“You _could_ ,” Dan replied nonchalantly. “But then you’d have to take care of my dragons to make up for killing me. I’d put you in my will just to spite you.” Dan threw his arms up, his voice mocking as he shouted to the stars. “I, Daniel Howell, of Rose Mountain, Lilium, give my entire interest in the real property which was my residence at the time of my death, together with any dragon that remains on the premises, to my apprentice, Philip Michael Lester.”

“Did you just include me in your bloody will?” Phil deadpanned.

Dan grinned widely and laughed so loud that it echoed off the trees. For a split second, the crickets stopped chirping with the noise before starting up again. “You’re the only one aside from me who knows how to take care of a dragon. Why wouldn’t you be in my will?” Phil opened his mouth despite how he was speechless, but Dan cut him off before he could speak. “Speaking of tragic backstories, you still haven’t shared yours with me. Or did you not have a tragic backstory?”

They had now entered the castle and Phil was surprised that Dan was still following him to his bedchamber, weaving through the halls and completely ignoring the artwork on the walls in favour of paying attention to Phil. Phil didn’t answer him until they reached his room several moments later, until Lennyx was out of earshot and they were behind locked doors. 

Only then did he sit on his bed, patting the space beside him. Dan sat and Lady Macbeth crawled on his bed as well, curling around the two humans so they could lean against her like a backrest. “I didn’t have quite as tragic of a backstory,” Phil told Dan. He hadn’t originally wanted to talk about himself, but he figured he could do this much for Dan, especially after having such an honest conversation in the gardens. “Since I’m the prince, I never had a close relationship with my family members. I was raised by a nanny named Wilma, but physical affection was really frowned upon. I was always kept at arm's length from everybody and my interactions were always short and brief. Showing emotion was not something to be done. It was seen as something weak and for those of a lower class. Because I was raised in such solitude, I never had any friends of my age. They were all people who I’d see twice a year at the royal banquets, but most of them were either older or younger than me, so they never paid any mind to me.” 

Phil swallowed, his tongue thick in his mouth. He licked his lips, trying to think of what to say next, but talking was hard and showing weakness was even harder. It was something he’d never gotten used to and something he didn’t know if he’d _ever_ get used to. “My grandfather was the one person who actually showed me any affection, so I really loved when he would come visit. He’d always read me fairy tales while I sat on his lap and listened and imagined. When he passed away, I had lost my very best friend. Lennyx was there, but it’s not the same because she’s being paid to keep me company and protect me. Plus, it’s hard to make friends when everyone just wants you for your money.” Phil paused once more, shaking his head. “That’s it. No tragic backstory, really. Just a lot of loneliness and lack of emotion.”

Dan hummed in understanding and Phil could feel him staring at the side of his face. He didn’t look back, though, just played with a loose thread on his trousers. “Hey,” Dan said softly, lightly kicking Phil’s toe with his. Phil cocked his head slightly to show that he was listening. “Just because your story may not be as bad as mine doesn’t mean it’s not just as tragic. We’ve both been through some shit things that’s affected us deeply, but I think it’s nice that we can talk about these things with each other. I know you’re not exactly the biggest fan of me, but you’re not alone anymore.” 

There were tears building up behind Phil’s eyes, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually cried. Was it when his grandfather had passed away? Had he even cried then? He didn’t know, but the feeling of his throat clogging and his lip wavering was entirely unfamiliar. He cleared his throat and tried to swallow down his emotions. “Thank you,” he replied. “You’re not alone either.” 

Phil knew that Dan was grinning, because well, he was always grinning. He lightly squeezed Phil’s knee and stood up from his bed, Lady Macbeth following suit. “I should let you sleep. I wouldn’t want Lennyx to think we’re having a sleepover in here.” He walked over to the window and opened it with ease, making the night breeze flow into the room. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow,” Phil replied. 

He watched as Dan murmured something to Lady Macbeth, causing her to jump out the window. And with one last salute, Dan was jumping out of the window as well. Phil didn’t have time to worry though, because moments later he saw Dan clinging to Lady Macbeth’s fur as they flew through the sky. 

Phil shook his head and stood to close the window. “Drama queen,” he muttered to himself. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to dandelionisonfire for betaing this for me again! I’ll try to get the next part out shortly, but it may take longer than two days because I’m going out of town this weekend. Part three will be the last part of this fic :) ! Thanks for reading, I love you all!

Phil had gone over to Dan’s hut early in the morning, and they were currently taking a break. They’d hiked further up the mountain so the air was slightly thinner and they were sitting on a steep ledge, looking out at the tiny appearance of Lilium. Phil could see his own home from there, the very home that he had grown up in and had even gotten _lost_ inside seeming so small that he could simply crush it in his palm.

While Phil was sitting farther away from the ledge, trying rather hard _not_ to die, Dan had decided to sit on the actual ledge, feet dangling over in a way that made Phil fear that he was going to fall. Dan was humming a song, even kicking his feet as he played with Ophelia. It was giving Phil a nasty feeling in his chest, something akin to fear, because if Dan fell over the edge then he would be falling to his _death_. 

If it were up to Phil, he would get up and move Dan himself, but sadly he was immobile at the moment. If he were to move, then he would dislodge Atlas, who had curled up into a ball on his lap. That was simply just disgraceful and not something that was possible at the moment. So instead, he called out to Dan, a frown on his face. “Tamer,” he demanded, trying to keep his voice as emotionless as possible. It would be weak to show his worry. “Come sit against the wall with me.”

Dan turned his face, his humming ceasing. There was a contemplative expression on his face, which quickly turned into a smirk when they made eye contact. Dan’s eyes were glittering. “Are you worried I’m going to fall off the cliff?” he asked, tone light. 

Phil shrugged. “No, I just wanted to show you something. I can’t do that if you’re all the way over there.”

The words made Dan chuckle with amusement, and then he was quickly standing up. He put Ophelia on his shoulder, her claws digging into the fabric of his shirt, but he hardly seemed to notice. Phil had a brief moment where he wondered if Dan’s body had marks and scars all over his skin, momentos of when his dragons had accidentally tugged on him a little too hard. It wouldn’t have surprised him. His thoughts were interrupted by Dan sitting down next to him, so close that their thighs were touching. 

Dan reached out and ran his fingers down Atlas’ feathers, who chirped happily and arched into the touch. Attention whore. Atlas seemed to like Dan better than Phil, and that wasn’t quite fair to Phil, who’d raised him and fed him. Phil swore that he was going to rejoice when Atlas became a big boy and didn't need him anymore. (As if that would ever happen). “So what did you want to show me?” Dan asked, a twinge of playfulness there that made Phil suspicious. Suspicious because he didn’t understand what Dan was planning to make him sound so playful.

That was, until he realised that he hadn’t actually had something to show Dan, and Dan fully knew that. 

Phil shuffled around a bit, pretending like he was looking for something. He patted Atlas, trying to think of something he could come up with, and then cleared his throat. “I think Atlas grew again last night,” Phil lied. “Does he look bigger to you?”

Dan snorted and started to roll his eyes before stopping himself. He leaned closer to Phil and Phil could smell his shampoo because he was so close. It was citrusy, like it’d come straight from the tree of an orange, and Phil wanted to bottle it up just so he could smell it forever. God, he needed to stop being so weird. Dan ran his hands over Atlas’ sides, feeling him, checking his body. When he was done, he sat back and Phil missed the closeness for a split second before he reminded himself who Dan was and who _he_ was. 

“He grew a little bit, but not too much,” Dan told him informatively, changing from his normal joking self to a serious Dan for a second. “I reckon he’ll grow another foot by the end of this week. Dragons get big rather fast, and he’s going to be the same size as a full-fledged beast probably by the next month.”

Phil sighed in relief, relief that Dan had let go his obvious flub and gone along with his dumb questions. Even so- “A full-fledged beast? Where will he _stay_? I don’t have room for him in my bedchamber.” 

“Your father literally built you a place for him in your gardens. I’d say you have plenty of space, my prince.”

Phil pouted. “But what if he wants to sleep on my bed with me? I can’t just tell him _no_.”

Dan threw his head back and laughed heartily. “Are you telling me that you actually have nurturing feelings towards dear Atlas? That you like cuddling with him in bed? My, what these dragons have done to you, Prince! You’re a changed man!”

Shoving Dan lightly, Phil glared. “I do _not_. I’m just worried. You can take him back for all I care.” The statement made Atlas give him an unimpressed look, but Phil ignored him. He’d have a talk with him later about how he didn’t mean it and how he was just trying to rile Dan up. Atlas should be used to that by now. 

“So you’re telling me that you wouldn’t sleep over at my hut just so you could cuddle Atlas? If you gave me custody?” Phil shook his head begrudgingly and Dan just snorted. “Right. I forgot that you don’t care about anyone other than yourself.”

The words, although a joke, still stung. In Phil’s very professional opinion, he’d been getting a lot better about that. He cared about Atlas and Dan. That had to be enough. But maybe it wasn’t. Most people usually cared about more than just two people, whereas Phil literally did not give two craps. 

Damn. He _was_ selfish. 

But Phil just crossed his arms and scowled down at his lap. His glare was interrupted by Atlas’ dumb face, so it was more like he was mad at Atlas. Unperturbed, Atlas just blinked up at Phil and curled back up, making a disgruntled noise in his throat. “I care about people. Asshole.”

“Hey,” Dan said softly, nudging Phil with his shoulder. Phil didn’t move, just turned his face away and pretended not to hear. Dan nudged him again. “ _Hey_.” 

“What?” Phil snapped back, whirling his head around to stare at the dragon tamer. 

Dan’s lips were pulled down in a pout and there was concern on his face. He seemed ashamed of himself and Phil couldn’t stay mad at him for too long when he looked like that. Dan opened his mouth, and Phil prepared himself for the _I was just joking around speech_ that never really made him feel better in the first place. 

It didn’t come. 

Instead, Dan reached into his pocket and pulled something out, his whole hand wrapped around the item so that Phil couldn’t see what it was even if he tried. His touch was delicate, fingers loose, as though he were holding something incredibly fragile. With his free hand, he lightly grabbed Phil’s hand and held it so his palm was facing upwards. His thumb caressed the skin of Phil’s hand and his touch was so ginger, holding Phil like he was a fragile piece of art.

For a moment, Phil lost his breath. He didn’t think they’d ever really touched each other like this. Sure, Dan’s hugged him before, but it was never like this, not so gentle, skin on skin. Phil really wanted to just turn his hand around, grasp Dan’s hand in his, but he didn’t for fear or rejection, he didn’t know why these feelings were suddenly rising inside of him. It was slightly scary. He didn’t know how to react, didn’t know how to deal with the way his lungs were constricting with every breath or why he wanted to tug Dan in and hold him close until he could feel his heart beating against his chest. 

He ignored all of that, and tried to pay attention to Dan, who was now putting something in his hand. He placed the object into Phil’s hand and then immediately covered it with his own hand. This way, Phil could feel that the object was hard and cool, almost like a rock, but he could also feel the heat of Dan’s hands making Phil feel warm all the way from his fingertips to his cheeks. 

Phil glanced down at where their hands were together, and then slowly trailed his eyes upwards until he and Dan were making eye contact. Dan smiled, softer and kinder than usual. “I’m sorry for upsetting you,” he murmured in a voice that reminded Phil of the night where he’d opened up to him and disclosed his background. 

“You didn’t upset me,” Phil muttered, upset. 

Dan cocked an eyebrow. “Yes I did, and that wasn’t very nice of me.” He scratched his nails lightly over Phil’s palm, and then he was pressing his palms together to squish Phil’s hand between his own. The edge of the object dug into Phil’s skin, but it didn’t hurt. He was too focused on the way Dan was holding his hands and gazing at him as though he were gazing at a lover. “I’m aware that you care about people more than you understand. You cared about your grandfather and always try to do things to make him proud, even if you don’t necessarily want to do those things. You care about Atlas and have given him a good home despite your earlier reluctance. You care about your parents and their image, and you care about your Kingdom and how well it’s people are doing.” A pause and a small smile. “You care about _me_. As much as you don’t want to, you do.”

“I never said I didn’t care about you,” Phil interjected, because he didn’t want Dan to get the wrong impression. Phil smirked, deciding to get a little payback for Dan’s earlier lame attempt at a joke. “Doesn’t mean I _like_ you though.” 

The statement made Dan laugh good-naturedly. He squeezed Phil’s hand once more, and Phil realised that he still had no idea what Dan was about to give him. He could feel the sharp edges digging into his palm and the cool, hardness of the object, but he couldn’t make sense of it in his mind enough to connect the dots between feeling and seeing. “Touche. But I hope this makes you like me at least a little bit.”

With that, Dan removed the hand that was covering the object, and allowed Phil to take a look at what he was now holding. When he saw what it was, his mouth fell open and he began to gape, because there was no way in _hell_ that he’d have ever managed to guess what this had been. In his hand, he was holding a dragon’s claw. It was long and sharp, curved like a cat’s claw, but two hundred times bigger. It was black and when Phil looked closely, he could see that there were little engravings in it in gold. The engravings were like drawings back in ancient times, of two persons with dragons surrounding them. At the top of the claw, a hole was drilled through and a suede cord was laced through the hole, big enough to fit around Phil’s neck. 

“Is- is this a necklace? For me?” Phil asked, quite literally speechless. He didn’t quite understand how Dan had done all of this, or why he’d just _give_ it to Phil like that. “But how? Why?”

Dan chuckled and picked up the necklace from Phil’s palm. He moved so that they were sitting closer together and motioned Phil to turn around. When he did, Dan lowered the necklace around his neck and tied the suede in the back, making it tight, but not so tight that it was choking him. Phil could feel the sharpness of the claw against his breastbone, a constant reminder that the gift was there. “You ask so many questions,” Dan mused. “As dragons age, they lose their baby claws and grow adult ones. Kind of like teeth. I collect them all because they’re like my children and I like to keep them to look back on. This is Atlas’ first baby claw, and I engraved it so you could remember all of the times we’ve had together as well.”

There was emotion swelling in Phil’s chest, emotion that he didn’t understand or know how to display. He could feel his eyes getting wet and his ears getting red, and all of his senses heightened at once. He could feel where Dan’s fingers were brushing the back of his neck, as well as the tiny breaths that Dan was taking. Phil was going through sensory overload, and he didn’t know how to bring himself back to the real world. 

So he tried to with humour, turning back around to face Dan. Their faces were so close that Phil could now feel those same exhales brush over his cheekbones, could see those beautiful plush lips so close to his face. Feeling slightly out of breath, Phil murmured, “are you trying to court me?” It was sarcastic but also tinged with seriousness. Sarcastic enough to pass off as a joke if that’s what Dan wished, but also serious in the way that Phil wanted to _know._

 _Was_ Dan trying to court him? Typically when a person began to court another, they would present them with a small gift in the form of a personal item, such as a necklace or bracelet. Just a small piece to show that they were interested and to show others that they were being courted. If Phil, who had not owned anything like this dragon claw necklace before, started to wear this, then it would be an obvious sign that Phil had found a monogamist courter. 

If that was Dan’s intentions in the first place. 

Phil watched Dan’s face intensely, watched as his cheeks turned the slightest colour of pink. His smile turned sly and his eyes crinkled at the corners. “It depends on what your answer would be if that were the case.”

Phil’s mind went blank. 

He’d had other people try to court him before, had girls give him their grandfather’s rings before. Phil had always turned them down with a laugh in the face, a harsh reminder that Phil was a million times better than them and could do better than to get with a lowly prince or princess of the next Kingdom over. Besides, they were all typically older than him, so they never payed him as much attention as he deserved.

But now he was faced with a citizen - a mere _dragon tamer_ who didn’t even _consider_ himself a citizen of Lilium - offering his courtship with warm eyes and a soft, accepting smile. Dan was so different from everybody else who’d tried to court Phil. Hell, he was so different from everyone else that Phil had ever met in general.

He didn’t try to impress anybody and made fun of everyone that he could, including royalty. He cared about his dragons and not much else, until he got to know a person on a deeper level, which wasn’t often. He was always smiling although he appeared distant from others, but really he was warm and quite cozy, seeming to like interacting with people a lot. He didn’t care about money, about riches and fame. He just wanted to mind his own business and be happy. 

Phil liked that. He liked that about Dan so much that it hurt, that it confused him to the point where he wanted to just hold Dan’s hand and never let it go. He wanted to sit atop this mountain for decades and never return to the ground. 

Hell, he wanted Dan to court him. 

Phil cleared his throat and tried to think of a witty response. “I’d say that I need to give you a gift back.” He needed to give something back to Dan, so he reached for his breast and tore his family crest from the fabric. With shaking fingers, he grabbed Dan’s collar and pinned the brooch onto Dan’s tunic. The brooch was lovely, with his family crest on it. The crest showed a shield with an Eagle on the inside and ivy surrounding it. It was a story that went back thousands of years with his bloodline, and now Dan wore it proudly for everyone to see. 

When Phil was done pinning it, he let his hands stay fluttering around Dan’s collar, unsure of what to do now. He didn’t know how to court someone or how to _be_ courted. Was he supposed to kiss him? A kiss of approval? Did they have sex? What was this?

Dan chuckled and caught Phil’s hands in his own, holding them to his chest. Phil could feel his heart beating and it made him blink. Dan’s heart was beating so hard that he could feel it reverberating in his fingertips. “You’re a wreck,” Dan whispered. “But I am a hypocrite.” 

“I’ve never met someone as bad at courting as you are,” Phil shot back. 

“Well, I’ve never met a prince who’s never been courted before.” For a moment, Phil was going to ask him how he’d known that before remembering that his life was pretty public and if he was going to be courting anybody, it’d be public knowledge. Besides, Phil didn’t think Dan had even _met_ a prince before.

Phil scowled and kicked Dan’s foot. “I take back the acceptance for the courting. I’ll only accept if you defeat me in a brawl. Kick my ass.” 

Dan laughed heartily and tugged Phil a little closer, until he could touch Phil’s cheek with his lips. Dan’s lips were as hot as a dragon’s breath, nearly searing through Phil’s skin in the best way possible. There wasn’t a single word Phil could think or say that could equate to the feelings bubbling up inside of him like fine champagne. Dan didn’t pull back far before he was speaking, lips brushing against Phil’s cheekbone and making shivers run down his spine. “You’re asking me to defeat you in combat? Sounds like a date.”

The use of the word _date_ made Phil’s cheeks turn hot, but he just chuckled and ducked his head, unsure of how to act. “Sure, yeah,” he murmured quietly, grinning at their joined hands. “A date.”

He’d never been on a date before, had thought they were ridiculous beforehand. But with Dan, the idea of a date didn’t sound the least bit appealing at all. 

-

“You ready for me to kick your ass?” Dan’s voice echoed in the courtyard, bouncing off the stone walls. He was in battle stance in front of Phil, his sword held out in front of him. They were both using iron swords that were blunt, that way they couldn’t cut through skin, but they would definitely be able to leave a bruise if they hit hard enough. Phil couldn’t deny that Dan looked wildly beautiful like this, his hair unruly and his eyes wide, glinting in the sun and making them tinge red like they were filled with fire. He truly looked like the rogue man who was raised by dragons now, and Phil could feel an aching in his heart at this image. For once, Dan seemed like he was free, unconstrained from societal expectations cast upon him and instead replaced with a fiery soul that nobody could tame.

“I’m ready to throw you across the courtyard,” Phil replied cockily, a smug smirk on his face. He waved his own sword towards Dan, tried to appear as manly and intimidating as possible. He was confident in his abilities to defeat Dan, even though he didn’t know if he really _wanted_ to. He wanted Dan to court him, wanted to see what that would be like, but he also had a reputation to uphold. 

There was no way he was going to let Dan beat him, no matter how badly he wanted Dan to court him.

“I love a man who can easily punch me in the face,” Dan teased back, and then he was jumping forward, throwing his sword in the air and trying to lash out at Phil. 

Phil dodged it, the sword striking the stone ground instead. He whirled around, tried to take Dan off guard, but Dan was quick and knocked his sword out of the way. It was quick to understand that they both had different fighting styles. Whereas Phil’s fighting was defined and controlled, Dan’s was unruly and all over the place, but nonetheless as skilled as Phil. Phil wondered briefly in the midst of all this how Dan could have learned how to fight so well, but then he realised that it would have been easy to learn when Dan had nothing to do, all by himself for _years_. 

It was also clear that Dan fought unfairly. He kicked Phil’s knees out from under him, jabbed his elbow into Phil’s stomach, even _bit_ Phil’s shoulder hard enough to leave a bright red mark. At first, Phil didn’t want to stoop so low as to fight dirty back, but after a while of going back and forth like this, Phil threw everything he knew about fighting fairly out of the way and jumped forward, hooking one foot around Dan’s calf while he pushed his entire body weight against Dan’s chest. 

Dan fell onto the ground with a loud _oof_ , his breath huffing out of him in one large exhale. Phil was breathing heavily as he leaned over him, sitting on his legs with all of his weight to keep Dan on the ground while the tip of his sword pressed to Dan’s throat. Dan closed his eyes and swallowed thickly, trying to catch his breath. He let out a small laugh. 

“So you won,” Dan said in a gruff voice, one that seemed slightly disappointed. It irked Phil that he was _still_ smiling, despite the fact that Dan didn’t get to court Phil now. 

Phil nodded and jokingly pressed the sword harder into Dan’s neck, even though it didn’t do anything. “So I won,” Phil mused, smirking. He pulled the sword away from Dan’s throat and fell to the side, onto the ground next to Dan. The sun was so bright that it blinded him, but he stared into the sky anyways, watching as the clouds passed by. Atlas, who had been watching the whole ordeal from the sidelines, snuffled at his head and then curled around his head, making Phil smile. 

A good brawl always made him feel more relaxed, especially when he was doing so out of fun rather than a lesson.

“Looks like I don’t get to court you then,” Dan said softly. 

Phil hummed. “Guess not,” he agreed. 

He wasn’t too sad about it, but it seemed like Dan was a bit more upset than he let on, because then he was saying, “That’s okay. A prince deserves more than a lowly dragon tamer.”

That made Phil frown angrily, turning onto his side. He didn’t care that Lennyx could see them from where she was watching only twenty feet away. He didn’t care that anyone could get the wrong idea by his actions, especially when he was taking Dan’s hand in his own, giving it a light squeeze. “That’s not true,” Phil replied harshly, hating that Dan would even _think_ of something like that. He deserved more than that, more than _Phil_. It pissed Phil off to no end that he had such low expectations of himself. “You’re the one who deserves better than I. You deserve the freedom to be yourself and live with your dragons, not to be tied down by politics and duties that don’t actually matter. You deserve to love freely and away from the bitter stare of onlookers who believe they can control your life just because they know of you. This is nothing I can give you, Dan.”

Dan huffed and then he was turning over onto his side as well, until they were face to face. This close, Phil could see the little freckles dotted across his nose, the light spots in his eyes, the little smile on his lips. Dan reached up and ran his fingers lightly across Phil’s cheek, making Phil close his eyes and bask in the touch. It was so feather light and ginger, completely different from the violence in which they fought only moments before. When Dan spoke, his voice was so quiet that it gently carried over the wind, barely audible. “I don’t care about any of that. I just want to be with you.” He cleared his throat, shaking his head slightly, cheeks a pretty shade of pink. Phil’s heart was roaring in his ears. “Besides, you don’t deserve any of that stuff either. You’ve been suffocated with these matters your entire life. It’s time for you to do things that you want as well, that way you can finally be yourself without restraint.”

Phil squeezed his eyes shut. He hated that Dan was right. He hated that he didn’t know whether he _was_ being himself or if he was just reflecting his parents and their expectations. Was he just a mirror of what everybody wants to be? Or was he acting on his own free will? Did he even _have_ any free will? He knew the answer even before he asked himself the question. So maybe that was why he was suddenly forming words, words that he’s been wanting to say this entire time. It was totally against what he’d ever do originally, but he knew in his heart that this was something that he truly wanted. He wasn’t going to let anybody mute his desires anymore, no matter how badly it may hurt himself or the others around him. 

“I know that I told you that you’re not allowed to court me since you lost. But I never said anything about me not being able to court you instead.” He knew the weight of his words as soon as he said them, as soon as Dan’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in shock. He knew what courting meant, that he was trying to find a person suitable enough to marry, something that his parents had been begging him to do ever since he’d turned eighteen. 

He knew that his parents would just be happy he was courting _someone_ , whether it was a man or woman. He just hoped they would be okay with the fact that Dan had no family aside from his beasts, as well as a low social status. 

Phil touched his dragon’s claw necklace and decided that he didn’t care what his parents thought. He was going to love unlike he’d been able to before. 

“ _You_ want to court _me_?” Dan asked incredulously. 

Phil chuckled. “I know what I said. So will you accept or not?”

“Of course I will. Is that even a question?” 

Apparently not, because they were both smiling at each other, grinning under the heat from the sun. Phil could practically hear himself sizzling from the sunbeams, but he didn’t dare move. He was too comfortable lying there with Dan, away from anything that mattered. 

They sunk into a comfortable silence, drinking in each other’s presence. Normally, now would be the time that they would exchange gifts, showing the acceptance of the courtship. But they had already done so a couple of nights ago, the weight of the claw around Phil’s neck and the brooch pinned to Dan’s scarf where everyone could see it. Lennyx had definitely noticed it earlier, had given Phil a wide eyed stare, but he had ignored her in favour of focusing on Dan. 

She could connect the dots anyways. Anyone could. 

Finally, Phil sighed. “I don’t know how to court somebody,” he admitted, even though Dan knew that already.

“I don’t either,” Dan replied reassuringly. “I guess we’ll just play it by ear. No pressure.”

“No pressure,” Phil murmured back quietly. It made him relax just a tad, knowing that Dan didn’t expect anything, that he didn’t know what he was doing either. He could make the assumption that courting Dan wouldn’t be a chore, that he didn’t have to trip over his own feet just to impress Dan. They already knew each other, were fond of each other, so now it was just a bit more _official_. 

More than that, Phil found that he couldn’t wait to see what their future held for them. 

-

Dan and Phil were taking the day off of training so they could lie around and spend time with each other. Phil had been training quite a lot anyways, and Dan claimed that he deserved a break after all the hard work he had been doing. They’d been courting for about a month now, and Phil was truly enjoying himself. Dan had stopped calling Phil by his title and had instead begun calling him by his name. Phil liked the way his name rolled off of Dan’s tongue, a pleasantry that not many people were allowed to practice. 

There really was no pressure between them at all and they were instead taking this thing between them extremely chill. They moved at their own pace rather than anybody else’s, and they were slowly getting more comfortable with each other than they already had been before. Now, more often than not, Phil caught himself staring at Dan’s lips, wondering what it would feel like to have them pressed against his own, maybe leaving small kisses on his collarbones. They hadn’t gone further than cuddling or holding hands yet, mainly because they both didn’t know what they were doing, but Phil was starting to torture himself with the thoughts of what going further with Dan would be like. 

Now, Phil was curled into Dan’s side, his face pressed to Dan’s chest while Dan stroked softly stroked through his hair. Atlas was by their feet, sulking after he tried to climb onto Dan’s chest as well but was instead kicked off because he was _too big_ now. He was no longer the size of a cat, but rather the size of a small horse. Phil had told him that he can still sleep on his bed as long as he stayed by Phil’s feet and didn’t crush him while he slept. So far, Atlas had listened, albeit a bit begrudgingly. 

“I love this,” Phil mumbled, tilting his head up to look at Dan’s face as best as he could at such an awkward angle. He was still getting used to being so sappy with Dan, but it was becoming easier by the day and he found that he _liked_ to express his affection towards Dan with his words. Dan always got the cutest little blush on his cheeks, and Phil made it a game to see how much he could get Dan to blush in a certain period of time. Just like he was expecting, Dan’s cheeks turned pink. “I like spending time with you.”

Dan chuckled and pressed a kiss to Phil’s forehead, which Phil sank into. He was a huge fan of forehead kisses and Dan was always glad to supply them. When he pulled away, their faces were very close, and Phil’s mind wandered once more, thinking about how much he wanted an _actual_ kiss. How much he wanted to just grab Dan’s cheeks and bring his face down to his. “You spend time with me every day,” Dan replied, a fond expression on his face that made it _really_ hard not to just kiss him right then and there. 

“So?” Phil asked. “I still like spending time with you.”

“Me too.” Dan’s hand stilled in Phil’s hair and his expression was now contemplative, as though he were thinking really hard about something. Slowly, he leaned in and nudged his nose against Phil’s, kind of like a bunny. 

Phil’s mind went blank. Dan’s lips were _so close_ to his own; just a centimeter apart and then they would be touching. He could feel the warmth against his lips, the way their breath mingled and became one. Phil tilted his head up, giving Dan permission to kiss him, showing him that he wanted it so badly that he could barely _think_ straight. They’d both never kissed anyone before, and Phil wanted Dan to be his first. He wanted Dan to be all of his firsts. 

Just as Dan leaned forward, his hand sliding from the back of Phil’s head to his cheek instead, the door swung open, banging against the wall with the force. 

They jumped apart, and Phil went to turn his wrath onto the intruder, finding Lennyx standing there, an alarmed expression on her face. Phil could feel fury building inside of him, so intense that his face turned red. He and Dan were _so close_ to finally becoming intimate, only to have Lennyx ruin it for them. “Lennyx, what the h-?!”

“The King, my Lord,” she cut him off, bowing and moving out of the way of the doorway. 

The King walked in then, his expression unreadable. Phil wasn’t entirely worried about being found in bed with another man. The act was rather common after Phil’s grandfather made love of all kind legal. It was one of the reasons why Lilium was such a great kingdom, a safe place for commoners to come to when they are in need of certain things or when they are trying to marry in peace.

Dan knew that, and yet he was still scrambling to stand, bowing low and long. “My King,” he murmured, and Phil had never heard him sound so respectful in the entire time that he’s known him. Phil hid his scoff at this. If only Dan had been this respectful when they’d first met, then they wouldn’t have had so many issues.

But then again, maybe that was why they connected so well in the long run.

Phil stood, slower than Dan, and regarded his father with a slight bowed head. “Father,” Phil greeted. “What brings your presence to me?” 

The King stood, towered over his son and the tamer, his beard nicely groomed and his red robes cascading onto the floor. His blue eyes were hard as he stared at the two boys, sliding his gaze over Phil as though he wasn’t really seeing him. His lips were pressed in a firm line and Phil could tell by the clench in his jaw that he was not happy. He ignored Phil’s question, turned to the door. “Guards!” he barked out, and Phil’s heart completely stopped beating. What have they done? Was his father really not okay with him lying with another man? Phil whipped his head around to stare wide-eyed at Dan as the guards waltzed in, but Dan just smiled back like he was trying to assure Phil that everything was going to be okay. “Take the beast tamer to the dungeons. And the dragon.” 

Without question, the guards leapt forward, twisting Dan’s arms behind his back and gripping him with iron fists so he could not escape. As though Dan would attempt anyways. He just stood there, staring at Phil with that same small smile, even though his lips were tense with pain at the harsh grips of the guards. 

“Father, what in God’s name are you doing?!” Phil cried out, jumping forward and yanking at the guards’ armor, trying to release their hands. He was desperate, his hands shaking, and there were pathetic tears threatening to fall from his eyes. He was no longer thinking, only acting on feeling alone, and that was a mistake. He had never gone against his father’s wishes before, and while his father was a benevolent king, Phil had no doubt that he would wring his neck if he went against his own father. “Let him go! Let him _go_ , he did nothing wrong!”

The King put a hand on Phil’s shoulder and yanked him backwards. “Stay back, child. That man is dangerous.” The King knew that Phil hated being called a child when he was twenty-three years old, and yet he always used it to his advantage, used it to make sure that Phil knew his place. That Phil was of a lower status than him, that he wasn’t a _king_ yet. He didn’t usually use that term because he liked to be the ‘cool’ parent, but apparently he was now ready to throw all of that away for whatever reason.

Phil turned and shoved at his father angrily, pushing away his arm, trying to chase after the guards who had ahold of Dan. It bothered him that Dan was still smiling, that he was mouthing out that everything was going to be okay. Why was he unconcerned? Why was he not fighting back? There was nothing that Dan had done wrong, and to be arrested unfairly made Phil’s insides boil. 

“Philip Michael,” came his father’s booming voice, and then there was a sword pressed against Phil’s neck, stopping him in place. The sword was held by Phil’s very own guard. 

He was breathing hard with panic, the sharp edge of the sword digging into his throat. One step forward and it would slice through his skin. Phil was tempted to step forward anyway, just so he could pass through and get to Dan, or even just to show his frustration with the whole situation. Maybe then his father would take him seriously. 

“Philip. Stop.” 

Phil spun around and glared at his father, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance. “Why the fuck should I listen to you? Why’d you arrest him? Why won’t you listen to me for once when I say he’s done nothing wrong?” He pointed an angry finger at the King and was so close to stomping his foot along as well. “If you arrested him solely because we were lying together, I demand you to release him and arrest me instead.”

The King shook his head. He seemed exhausted, bags under his eyes and a weary expression on his face. He gestured for Lennyx to lower the sword, and Phil considered leaving with that, but he wanted to hear what his father had to say for himself, so he didn’t. The King pressed his thumbs to his forehead. “I do not care if you lie with another man, my son,” he started, and then held his arm out to point Phil towards his bed, telling him to sit. Phil followed begrudgingly, sitting as far away from his father as he possibly could. “I would not arrest someone without reason, and I think you are aware of that fact. It had given me great sorrow to have to arrest your Daniel. Believe me when I say I tried to come up with other solutions that ended up falling through.”

Phil threw his hands up in exasperation. “And what? Are you going to explain to me what he’s _done_? Pray tell, father, as I do not believe I understand what is going on here.”

Phil could feel the King’s eyes on his throat, gazing at the dragon’s claw around his neck. He shuffled a bit, his hand flying up to his neck to wrap around the sharpness. It dug into his palm painfully, a gruesome reminder that Dan was in the dungeons, away from the safety of Phil’s room. Phil didn’t even have Atlas with him anymore, the dragon having been escorted out along with Dan. His room felt strangely empty, making him wonder how he’d lived like this before. “I recieved news this morning of a few citizens who had been slain by a dragon. The dragon was not found, but there were a few witnesses and pointers that showed evidence of Dan keeping this dragon. There is speculation that he had told his dragon to harm the citizens. Therefore, he had to be restrained until further research could be performed.”

Scoffing, Phil shook his head. He couldn't believe what he’d just heard. There was absolutely no way that Dan could be in charge of this murderous dragon. His Dan, who had never shown a vicious bone in his entire body, who always smiled no matter what the situation was. And all of his dragons were kind, loving creatures who grazed in the pastures and adored Dan with all of their hearts. They would not cause suffering to anybody, and Phil was certain of that. Besides, “Dan has been with me for the majority of the past week. He would not have had any time to formulate that type of plan. He is not that kind of person, father. You have to understand that.”

The King sighed and looked at his lap. Slowly, he stood. He did not make eye contact with Phil, and Phil hoped it was because he was ashamed of himself. “I know that you believe that, son, but I am afraid that love blinds us sometimes. He could have been using you as a cover up, and I cannot let that happen.” Phil bristled, biting his tongue as his father turned and began to walk to the door. His father paused right before he left. “Daniel’s hearing will be tomorrow at sunrise. Until then, I have told the guards not to allow you into the dungeons. Try to get some rest tonight and ease your mind.” 

“Fuck you,” Phil spat, finally unable to hold it in any longer. The hatred was bubbling out of him until he was bursting with it, fueling him like fire. 

His father waved dismissively at him and left the room without another word, leaving Phil to his own devices and Lennyx posted quietly by the door. 

He did not sleep that night. His mind was filled with too much anger and anxiety, dread filling him to the very brim. He couldn’t keep still and instead paced around his room. He thought about Dan, about what his father had said, about everything he knew about Dan. He was absolutely sure that Dan wasn’t using him, had utmost trust in Dan. He just couldn’t figure out how to get his father to trust Dan as well. 

In the dead of the night, Phil tried to leave his room and sneak his way to the dungeons, but Lennyx found him and refused to let him leave, claiming she was on King’s orders. Phil was angry, but couldn’t be angry at _her_ because she was just doing her job. Instead, he was boiling with emotion for the King, and he knew there was no way he was going to keep his cool during the hearing. As soon as he saw Dan, he was probably going to burst into tears right then and there. 

Come morning, Phil was a zombie. He could feel the dark circles under his eyes and the greasiness of his unwashed hair. He’d run his hands through his hair so much that it was sticking up all over the place, but he couldn’t shower, both out of pure exhaustion and trepidation. He couldn’t stop worrying about the hearing, about what would happen. He knew that Dan didn’t have the best reputation in Lilium, most people thinking that he was _crazy_ or _unruly_ or _disrespectful_. And he was, to an extent, but they also didn’t know Dan like Phil knew him. 

People could take Dan’s smile in the wrong way, believe that he lacked empathy or compassion. They could believe that Dan could harm someone, could _murder_ someone, just because they hadn’t had a conversation with him. Besides, Dan was the only person who could be blamed for something dragon related. Phil knew that the odds weren’t in Dan’s favour, and that thought was terrifying to him.

When Phil’s mother showed up at his room, telling him to get ready to leave, Phil was already wearing his nicest robes. He’d tried to appear as presentable as possible, although it was quite obvious that he was not okay. However, he didn’t want his people to blame Dan for ruining his mental health as well, so the least he could do was dress up properly. 

He wasted no time in getting to the gathering hall. He was one of the first people in there, aside from his father sitting at the throne, his mother right next to him. Phil sat in the chair beside him and refused to look his father in the eye. While he still had to be respectful and sit up straight, Phil wanted the King to know that he was upset and that he wouldn’t go down without a fight. His mother tried to smile at him, but Phil glanced away before he could break down and smile back. 

Today was no smiling matter.

Slowly, the people started trickling in. First the jury, then the citizens. The gathering hall was big enough to fit the majority of the Lilium citizens inside of it, and it seemed like nearly everyone had decided to show up today. Not surprisingly, considering there was hardly ever an arrest that happened in the kingdom. Lilium was a fairly peaceful place, and there had not been an incident such as a murder since Phil was a small boy. 

The people left an opening down the middle of the crowd that led to the front of the room, right where the King, Queen, and Phil sat. Phil knew from experience that Dan would walk down the aisle, hands cuffed behind his back, a guard on each side. Then, he would kneel before the royal family and bow his head as the King stood and announced what the hearing was for. Everybody would watch and form their own opinions and Phil would be left without a voice because his opinions didn’t matter here.

Just as Phil predicted, the crowd got quiet and everyone turned towards the back of the room to watch as the giant doors opened. Dan, thankfully, had enough sense to wipe the damn smile off his face as he entered, hands behind his back and hair much more unruly than usual. The guards had a tight grip on his biceps, dragging him forward so harshly that he kept stumbling over his own two feet. Eyes were on him the entire time, including Phil’s eyes, as he made his way to the front of the room. 

When he saw Phil, his face brightened and his lips twitched up, as though he were about to start smiling. But Phil shook his head, frowning, and he stopped just in time, instead pouting out his lip slightly. It was just the thing that Dan would do, and it hurt so badly to see him like this. Phil could feel his heart tear a little with each step Dan took towards the throne. The tear was ripping into a gaping hole until it was nearly unbearable and Phil had to dig his nails in the chair in order not to go running for him.

The guards halted in front of the altar, roughly pushing Dan to his knees. Phil couldn’t take his eyes away from Dan’s face as he bowed his head, showing submissiveness and respect. Phil would probably never get used to the image of that, especially when he’d seen Dan be so rude to him right off the bat. He appreciated that Dan knew his boundaries and when to fight or submit. 

The King stood and the crowd awaited eagerly for his words. Phil stared intently at Dan, trying to convey to Dan that he wouldn’t let anything happen to him as long as he was living. 

Dan didn’t look up. The King spoke.

“Citizens of Lilium,” he started, voice booming and echoing off of every corner, “thank you for coming to the hearing of Daniel Howell. It brings me great joy to have such a caring and courteous kingdom. Today, we are inspecting the matter of murder that occured on the morning of yesterday. It has come to my attention that three citizens have greeted the afterlife sooner than expected due to an untimely beast attack.” Dan glanced up quickly and met Phil’s eyes. Phil could feel his stomach growing weaker, and the small smile Dan sent his way did nothing to ease that as his father continued to speak. “We did not find the dragon after the event occurred, however, the only beasts that the kingdom is aware of reside on Rose Mountain, which Daniel Howell considers his home. Due to these circumstances, we have decided to put Daniel on trial to determine whether he is guilty or innocent.”

They had no evidence. That much was clear, but just from a quick scan of the room, Phil picked out several people who were staring at Dan with disgust in their gazes, already completely convinced that he had done the unthinkable. Phil wanted to scream at them, to shout at them that they were wrong, that they were all delusional, but he was glued to his chair, teeth clenched together as though that would keep his sorrow from leaking onto the floor. 

The King ordered the jury to speak, to provide explanations and suggestions for how to handle the situation. They all said the same exact thing: that Dan was guilty because he was the only one who could control dragons, so therefore he was _obviously_ in charge of the dragon who murdered people. Only one woman stood and brought up the fact that there was not enough significant evidence to charge Dan for murder. Phil didn’t know who she was, but he liked her. 

A few citizens came up to speak, detailing what they had seen and how the dragon had crushed their houses. They described a giant burgundy beast that breathed fire, and Phil clenched his teeth because he _knew_ what they were describing, _who_ they were describing, and judging by the sudden fretful expression on Dan’s face, he knew exactly what was being implied as well. Everyone did, considering that specific dragon was Dan’s most well-known creature. 

Dryas. The beast who had saved Dan’s life, and could now possibly have the power to end it. If it was her, which Phil still wasn’t entirely convinced.

When Dan was called upon to save himself, Phil couldn’t look away. He memorised the shape of his lips and tried to remember how they felt when they pressed to his forehead. He watched as his dimple caved in whenever he spoke, and how his eyelashes were so long that they kissed his cheeks when he blinked. His hair was a curly mess atop his head and Phil imagined that a bird could make a nest in it if it wanted to, and his cheeks were a rosey pink colour, one tiny spot turning dark red from the attention of the room.

“I send my sincerest apologies to every family which was impacted by the attack,” Dan murmured in a tone much quieter, yet still as powerful as the King’s. “However much I would like to easily solve this mistake, I am afraid that I have not commanded my dragons to harm anybody. My dragons are very peaceful creatures who like to graze in the grass and play around like cats. While they are scary, they bring no harm to the citizens of Lilium. I would not allow it. If any of my dragons have hurt anybody, the situation will be solved immediately, as I do not condone violence of any sort. In fact, Dryas had saved my very life when I was only four years old. After my sibling had abandoned me in the mountains to starve, Dryas had taken me in, fed me, and made sure that I was living the best life that I could. She had saved my life when nobody else had and is the only reason I am here today.” 

One of the jury members spoke then, a man with a balding head and bulging eyes. He seemed skeptical. Phil didn’t like him. “Is it true that you have been training with Prince Philip for the past few months?”

Dan nodded and stared out at the crowd with a level, steady gaze. “That is true, yes.” He spared a glance at Phil and grinned fondly at him for just a millisecond before turning his attention away. Phil’s heart tore open a bit more. “The Prince had come to me for help with his inheritance, which came in the form of a dragon’s egg. Because he did not understand the ways of the beasts, he came to me for help and I was glad to lend a hand.” _Liar_ , Phil thought affectionately. Dan was glad to lend a hand while Phil had begrudgingly taken it. “Through our training, the Prince has come a long way and is now able to understand the majority of the dragon’s native language. It gives me great pride that I was able to provide that knowledge to him.” 

The King turned to Phil and gestured for him to stand up. Avoiding his eyes, Phil did, and instead grit his teeth at the King’s next words. “Philip, you may speak now.”

He wanted to scream that Dan didn’t do it. He wanted to call everybody a bloody idiot. He wanted to throw a temper tantrum in front of the whole Kingdom. More than that, he wanted to cross the stage and give Dan a big kiss to show everyone just how much he meant to him. 

He didn’t. Instead, he was a good boy and kept his true opinions to himself. He’d throw a tantrum later in front of just his parents and Lennyx. “I do not believe that Daniel Howell is guilty of murder.” He expected the crowd to gasp in offense, but instead, they were deathly silent, awaiting his next words. “I have been training with Daniel for approximately three months now, and this man is not capable of doing such an inhuman act. Through my lessons, I have learnt that Daniel is a caring person, both for humankind and dragons alike. We have been training every day for hours, and he has undoubtedly earned my trust. His dragons are tranquil and gentle. Not once have any of the beasts shown an ounce of violence towards me in the months that I have known them.” Phil turned his face towards Dan, stared him right in the eye. “I have full faith that, if given the chance, Daniel would be able to control the rogue dragon and make sure that it does no harm any further.” It was a small plead for everybody listening, as well as a message to Dan. A tiny, _I’ll stand with you until the end._

Dan gave him a little nod of the head, and Phil dismissed himself, sitting back in his chair. He listened as his father told the jury to discuss amongst themselves, tilting his head and staring at the ceiling. He didn’t want to be here anymore. He was on edge, lips draw and cracked from gnawing on them, and his nails were split from digging them into the wooden throne. His eyes were burning with the need to cry and his _heart_ was burning and all he wanted was to be sitting on Rose Mountain with Dan, listening to him humming as Atlas and Ophelia played together. He didn’t like that Atlas and Ophelia, a familiar presence in his life, were now nowhere to be found. He didn’t like that Dan was so near to him but completely out of his touch. 

The chandelier above him was rocking minisculely, so tiny that he had to concentrate to notice it. It cast light over the walls, made shadows dance to their own imaginary tunes. While the shadows were carefree in their movements, the chandelier was bolted to the ceiling, never to be set free, only able to move to the music by a millimeter. 

Phil felt like that chandelier at the moment. 

“A decision has been made,” Phil’s father suddenly announced, walking back to the center of the room. Everybody straightened in their chairs, including Dan, who had tried to seem uninterested but was failing miserably. 

Phil held his breath, shut his eyes. _Please be set free, please be set free._

The King took a deep breath and it echoed around the hall. The room was so quiet that Phil could hear his own heart thundering in his ears. Or maybe that’s because his ears were ringing and blocking out any noise from anything other than his father’s voice. 

“Daniel Howell’s execution will be held at sunset in the morrow.” 

Phil’s heart did a weird thing where it raised to his throat and dropped to his stomach at the same exact time. As the people started to trickle out of the room and the guards grabbed Dan’s shoulders, Phil could only see black edges around his line of vision and Dan’s paled face. He was frowning. Actually frowning. Phil had never seen Dan frown. Not in a serious way at least. Not in the way that his eyebrows furrowed and his entire face sagged and the dimple in his cheek had completely disappeared and _Phil couldn’t lose him._

Phil couldn’t lose him. 

“No,” Phil whispered, and then louder, “ _No._ I won’t allow you to do this, father.” He flung to his feet, stumbling, and in an act of déjà vu, flung himself at Dan. This time, the guards tried to stop him, but his father waved them away, told them to give him some time. 

Then Phil was right in front of Dan, right up in his space, touching his face, and everything felt right being so close again, but completely wrong because Dan was going to _die_ and Phil didn’t know what to do. Dan’s eyes were pools of liquid caramel on a hot day and Phil was stuck in an endless black ocean, hoping to drown but unable to sink. 

He grabbed Dan’s face, cradled it in his palms, ran his fingers over his cheekbones and over his eyebrows and through his hair. Dan closed his eyes and swallowed audibly, and Phil couldn’t take this anymore. As Dan tilted his head, giving Phil’s palm a light, tender kiss, Phil’s tears finally fell, staining his cheeks and splattering on the marble floor like droplets of blood. 

“Don’t cry,” Dan whispered, and he moved his arm as if to touch Phil's cheek, only to stop at the pull of the handcuffs around his wrists. Instead, he ran his foot over Phil’s calf in a way that probably looked silly, but was instead more comforting. “I’m not worthy of your tears, my Prince.” This time, when he addressed Phil by his title, Phil knew that he did not mean it out of respect. He meant it as an endearment, the term soft in his mouth, teling Phil that he was _Dan’s_ prince, that Phil had Dan’s entire heart and soul. 

Phil only cried harder, and he didn’t care if there were people watching. He knew that people were still there, watching what was happening with curious expressions on their faces, knew that they were shocked - both because there had been a murder and because Phil was currently sobbing into this strange man’s chest. He wrapped his arms around Dan’s shoulders and pulled him close, burying his head into his neck and sobbing hysterically. “I- I don’t want you t-to leave me,” Phil whimpered out as Dan nuzzled his nose into Phil’s collarbone. “We w-were supposed to ha-ave forever.” 

“We do,” Dan whispered softly. “I’ll wait for you for an eternity. I’ll haunt your ass so you don’t forget me.”

It was screwed up and Phil was aware, but he laughed anyways. It was a bitter laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. He couldn’t believe this was happening to them, that Dan could be set for _execution_ solely because he had a dragon that resembled the rogue beast. Benevolent King, Phil’s _ass_. “I could never forget you,” Phil told him sincerely. He leaned in closer, speaking into Dan’s ear so that nobody else could hear. “I’ll fight for you. I won’t let them take away the only thing I’ve cared about for years. I’ll get you out.” He backed away and looked into Dan’s eyes, mustering up his best smile that was probably pathetic due to his tear-stained face and swollen eyes. “Wait for me.”

Dan grinned, eyes glossy and full of sorrow. “I’ll always wait for you,” he replied, voice breaking. 

The guards grabbed Dan’s arms once more and aggressively pulled him away. Dan went willingly, bowing his head, and Phil could do nothing but watch as his heart went with him. When they were halfway towards the doors, Phil broke down again, and he could hardly be thankful that most of the citizens had already left when he was sinking to his knees and wailing into his hands. He felt truly and utterly pathetic, but there was no amount of words that could describe the pain he was feeling right then. 

Loss for the only person he’d cared for in years. Sorrow for Dan and the dragons. Helplessness because he can’t do anything about it. Betrayal for his father taking away the things he cared about. 

His father, who was now putting a hand on his shoulder and saying his name in a soft tone. 

Phil yanked his shoulder out of his father’s grip and shuffled away from him like a wounded animal. He certainly looked like one. “Don’t fucking touch me, traitor,” he spat accusingly. “I can’t even fucking look at you right now after what you’ve done to me.”

His mum was standing behind his father, hovering, but Phil had no doubt that she was staying back because this was a conversation that Phil needed to have with his father, not her. Thankfully, the King took a step away, giving his son some space. But he did not stop talking. “I know you are upset with me right now, son, and I do not blame you. I know it is hard losing somebody you care about.”

Phil lost it. He stood up, throwing his hands in the air, and then he was jabbing his father in the chest with his finger, pushing him back slightly. “No, you don’t understand, father,” Phil snarled, staring straight into those blue eyes that were exactly like his own. Phil wanted to tear his eyes out and never remind himself of the parts of himself that resembled his father. “I didn’t just care about Dan. I _loved_ him.” Phil froze with the words that seemed to have come out of his mouth before he could even think about it. He grit his teeth, could feel his eyes well up with tears for a moment because this was the first time he’s ever said something like that and it was under a circumstance such as _this_. “I loved all of him, all of his creatures. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve loved somebody?” Phil laughed bitterly, throwing his head back. “Fuck, I can’t even think about the last time I loved somebody. I don’t know if I ever had before Dan came. And yet you ripped it up right in front of me, decided to have an innocent man executed without plausible evidence. How does that make you feel, knowing you slaughtered an innocent civilian? Does it make you feel _good_? _Proud_? Are you just _jumping for joy_ that you murdered the very person I was planning to marry?”

The guards were pointing their swords at Phil, as though he were the crazy one trying to murder somebody. Phil was no murderer, but he sure felt murderous right then as his father’s eyes turned downward and filled with fake sorrow. His beard was long and gray and made his downturned lips look even more intense. Phil hated it. Phil wanted to smack the look off his face and grab him by the shoulders and scream until his voice went out. 

“If I was able to handle the situation in a different way, then I would. Believe me. But there is nothing I can do about it now.”

That made Phil cackle. “Nothing you can do?! You’re the _King_! You can do whatever you want and you don’t have to explain! Do what Dan’s old King did to his family and murder all of their youngest children! That’s all you’re good for anyway!” Phil shook his head and began to back away. He couldn’t believe that he was saying these things to his father. But more, he couldn’t believe his father was _letting him_. “I’m going to prove you wrong. I’m going to do your fucking job and find evidence to support who the _true_ killer is. And when you realise that you were wrong, you’re going to have to do more than just apologise for the mess you’ve made.” 

Turning, ignoring his father’s calls for him to come back, Phil ran out of the gathering hall, heart roaring in his ears. Before he could exit completely, Phil paused in the doorway. He made eye contact with his father from across the room and sneered. “Have a fantastic day, King Henry. Hope you sleep well tonight.” And then he grabbed the family crest that was pinning his robes together, tore it out of the fabric, and threw it at the ground. As his robes fell from his shoulders, leaving him in his trousers and a white button-up, Phil felt almost as wild as Dan. “The Lester name is a disgrace and I won’t be associated with it anymore.” 

The door slammed shut as he fled from the room, the noise rattling the walls, and Phil found that he didn’t care. His chest felt tight, his face was blotched and red, and the man he finally admitted he loved was locked in the dungeons, awaiting his death. 

But Phil couldn’t spend time being sad. If he wanted to find evidence before tomorrow evening, he was going to have to work without feeling. 

Good thing that stuffing up his feelings was something he was used to. 

-

It wasn’t long before Phil found himself in the dungeons.

His father must have told the guards to leave him alone, because they didn’t try to stop him at all, just stepped aside to let him through. Or maybe they were aware that if they told him no, then Phil would throw the biggest temper tantrum that he’d ever had and throw each of them against the wall. Phil knew he could do it. They knew he could do it. Maybe it was just for the best that they let him inside. 

He made his way through the tunnels blindly, peeking into each cell to try and find which one Dan was in. Most of the cells were empty, thanks to the lack of crime in Lilium, but here and there he found a bone or two that seemed suspiciously like human bones. 

He came across Atlas and Ophelia first, the only dragons as of yet that had been detained. 

Atlas leaped at the bars like an excited dog, making a happy noise as he tried to lick Phil’s face excitedly. Phil laughed and told him to get down, petting his head and giving him a quick smooch. Ophelia was Atlas’ back, clinging on for dear life as he jumped around wildly. 

“Simmer down,” Phil murmured. “Do you know where Dan is? I need to get to him so I get get you guys out of here.”

Ophelia was the one who answered, Atlas too excited to be able to say anything. “ _He’s past here, about twenty cells away. They didn’t want him to be able to talk to us_.” 

Phil smiled at her. “Thank you. I’ll be back for you soon, okay? Hang in there.”

With that, he turned and began to walk down the halls once more, in search for the cell which held Dan.

When Phil saw Dan, his breathing completely stopped and it felt like he had seen him for the first time again. His heart started to pound in his chest, his face flushed, his palms began to perspire. He opened his mouth and found that he couldn’t talk. He went to move forward, but his legs couldn’t move. He was frozen in place, gaping at the man whom he loved, slouched against the wall of the cell. 

Phil had never seen Dan so worn out, so _defeated._ Whenever he was with him, Dan always had this strong demeanor to him, as though he could take on whatever got thrown his way. He was fiery and strong, the grin on his face making him seem as big as the mountains in which he lived. He was rowdy and untamed, a dancing flame in the dark. 

And yet, as he sat in the dark cell, only a candle lighting the space with a dim ember, Phil couldn’t help but feel as though his fire was dying out, being sucked into the very concrete in which he sat. 

His lips were downturned, his eyes staring at the wall. They were chapped and pale and his eyes had dark circles underneath them. His hair, which was typically a tamed unruly, was now a complete mess atop his head. He must have hidden his emotions extremely well in the courtroom, but now, with nobody around, he let his walls crumble to reveal the agony that was poisoning his bones. 

“ _Dan_ ,” Phil whispered, stepping forward. The walls echoed with his footsteps and Dan glanced up. 

Immediately, like a switch, Dan was hopping to his feet and grinning as though nothing was wrong. Phil’s heart hurt, his head hurt, his _soul_ hurt. Phil wanted to take him in his arms, but he couldn’t. Not when there was iron separating them and a key hidden in the King’s robes. “Phil! My Prince! What are you doing down here? Did your father not tell you to stay away?”

Phil chuckled bitterly, even though the situation was not funny in the slightest. He was filled with anger once more, anger because he could not help Dan, because he was one of the most powerful beings in the kingdom and yet he still had no say in most things. “Fuck what my father says, I don’t give a _shit_ anymore,” Phil hissed out. He didn’t miss the way Dan’s eyebrows raised in surprise. Typically Phil spoke in a relatively good manner. He made sure to enunciate his words and to speak properly to show that he was above all other citizens. But right now, Phil couldn’t find the energy in him to speak well when he was angry and hurt and _betrayed_ by his own father, the man who raised him. “But enough about me. Are you okay?”

“I’m in a dungeon,” Dan noted brightly. 

“I noticed,” Phil replied flatly. He reached through the bars and grabbed Dan’s hand in his own. When he held it, he could feel the dryness of Dan’s knuckles, how they cracked under his touch. He needed some lotion fast. “Dan, you don’t have to pretend to be okay if you’re not. I’m here for you just as much as you are for me. I won’t just leave you down here, okay?”

Dan sighed and then he was rocking back on his heels, staring up at the ceiling. The candle made shadows dance across his face and he looked a bit like a crazed ghost. “I know,” he said softly. “I’m trying to appear happy because I’m attempting to keep it together. I thought it might help, but so far it has not. Maybe if I keep trying…”

Phil shook his head, irked. “No.”

“No?”

“No,” Phil confirmed, and he squeezed Dan’s hand tightly. Painfully. He couldn’t let Dan keep pretending not to feel, trapping everything inside of himself. “Do you know how unhealthy that is? How much that can destroy you? You need to talk to others about how you feel. You need to show it. If you just hide behind a mask, it’s going to eat you alive. And how the hell am I supposed to _help_ if I never even know what you’re _thinking_ right now?!” By now, Phil was tearing up. His eyes were wet and he could already feel himself teetering on the edge of a breakdown. He closed his eyes. Not again. Not again. 

There were fingers on his cheek then, wiping away the liquid from his skin. Phil relaxed into the touch, pressed his lips to Dan’s palm. Oh, how he wished that he could feel Dan’s lips against his. “I don’t think you have to worry about it destroying me,” Dan said quietly. Phil opened his eyes and squinted at him. Dan smiled back sheepishly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m going to be dead tomorrow, love.”

Phil shook his head and grabbed Dan’s wrist, pulling him as far up to the bars as he could be. Dan’s face was pressed against the bars, his nose poking between the spaces. His eyes were wide and confused when Phil said, “No you fucking won’t,” in a low growl. 

“Yes I will? I was there when your father ordered it.”

Phil looked him dead in the eyes. His face was so close to Dan’s that he could feel his breath against his lips, but Phil was so focused on the fire in his heart to notice. “I won’t let them take away the one thing I truly care about in this world. I’m going to get you out of this.”

“How?” Dan asked breathily. His eyes were glazed over, and Phil couldn’t tell if he was about to cry or if it was because they were so close. 

Now that was a question Phil hadn’t figured out the details to quite yet. He lowered his voice so that no guard could overhear him when he answered, nonetheless. “I’m going to find out who did this and I’m going to prove that it wasn’t you. I will die before I see the day that you are hanged, Daniel Howell. I made a promise to court you, and I don’t plan on breaking that promise just yet.”

Dan giggled, a truly delightful sound in the dryness of the dungeons. His eyes were glittering in the half light and he was oh, so beautiful. “And yet you told me that you didn’t know how to court somebody,” he teased, his fingers reaching through the bars to grasp at Phil’s robes. His thumb ran over the groove in Phil’s breast in which he typically wore the Lester crest. Dan didn’t say anything, just looked glanced up at Phil through his eyelashes and smiled sheepishly. “Can you fulfil a request for me?” he asked softly. 

Phil was nodding before he even finished the question. At this point, he would do anything to see Dan happy. There was no doubt about that. 

“I hate the thought of possibly dying without having the opportunity to kiss somebody.”

Phil’s cheeks went up in flames and he resisted the urge to duck his head. He resorted to teasing instead, tugging on Dan’s fingers to rest his hand on Phil’s heart. “Is that so? Just anybody would do, then?”

Dan hummed and pouted, eyes heavy and pleading. “Well not just _anybody_ , I suppose. It’s gotta be someone I like, I guess.” He pressed down on Phil’s heart and Phil was sure that he could feel the way it was pounding under his touch with nerves. Phil would bet a million dollars that Dan was also nervous as well, even if he didn’t show it. 

Leaning forward slightly, Phil bumped his nose against Dan’s and then nuzzled them together like a rabbit. His voice was soft when he spoke next, like he didn’t want to shatter the air around them. “Will I suffice, then?” he asked. 

Dan nodded. “You’ll suffice for now.” Then he was leaning forward, pressing his face to the metal bars so that his nose and lips were sticking through them. Closing his eyes, he puckered his lips, waiting. Now it was Phil’s turn to make a decision. 

Did he want to kiss Dan? Of course, that wasn’t even a question. But did he want to kiss Dan for the first time through _bars_? Preferably no. He wanted to be able to hold him, to deepen their kiss, to show this man just how much he meant to him. He couldn’t exactly do that through bars. 

However, If Phil had to choose between living his life without ever kissing Dan or just kissing him through the goddamn bars, Phil would pick the latter any time. 

With his heart pounding in his ears, his blood rushing through his veins, Phil leaned forward and put his forehead on the bars. He tilted his head slightly so he would be able to reach Dan’s lips past his nose, and then he closed the distance between them. 

Phil didn’t get what the big deal was about kissing. Sure, his palms were sweating, his lungs felt like they were about to give out, and his whole body was warm, but he didn’t see fireworks light up behind his eyes. His didn’t feel static electricity. All he felt was Dan’s lips against his, chapped and warm, and his fingertips gripping Phil’s face to pull him closer - as close as he possibly could with bars between them, anyways. 

Somehow, Phil felt like this was a much better feeling than those fireworks or static electricity. 

When they pulled away, Dan’s eyelids were half shut and his mouth was open slightly. There was a pink tinge on his cheeks and he was so pretty that Phil wanted to cry. “Now that I’ve tasted you, I won’t go another day without kissing you again,” Phil told him. A promise, one that he meant to keep for once. The emotions he’d felt while kissing were simply not going to go away. 

“In that case,” Dan murmured, leaning forward again and pecking Phil on the lips lightly. “You should get going. Find some evidence to set me free. We can kiss again later.”

Phil sighed, but nodded reluctantly. He knew that it was time to get going, to finally go on a quest to figure out what had actually happened. It was time to set Dan free once and for all. “I do,” he replied, backing away. He took Dan’s hand off of his chest, squeezed it, and then let Dan retract it back through the bars. “I’ll come see you as soon as I can okay? I swear to God I won’t let you die yet.”

Dan smiled bitterly. “We can hope.” 

Phil wanted to promise. He wanted to tell Dan that nothing would happen, that he would die before he let Dan get hanged. But the truth was, Phil couldn’t really change anything unless he found sufficient evidence. He had less than twenty-four hours to find out who the dragon is, to convince his father that Dan hadn’t done anything. In that amount of time, Phil was doubting himself quite a lot. But he wouldn’t let that stop him from trying.

Instead, he nodded and backed away in order to stop himself from kissing Dan once more. “I’ll do my best and I’ll come see you again soon. Hopefully you’ll be out by then.”

Dan nodded, stepping away from the gate. “Stop chatting and go, my Prince,” he teased, and Phil chuckled and shook his head. 

“I’ll be back,” he promised, and then he left Dan behind along with his bleeding heart. 

He walked back through the tunnels, his eyes drawn downward. He could hear footsteps behind him, ones that were light and belonged to Lennyx. There was a question in the tip of his tongue, which he ended up blurting out. “Lennyx,” he started. “Whose side are you on? My father’s? Or mine?”

Lennyx paused for a millisecond before replying. “I was assigned to serve you, Prince. My loyalty will never change and I will always protect you until the day I die.”

That was always her answer, so it didn’t surprise him in the slightest. Lennyx was a good egg and Phil could trust her with all of his secrets. Which was why he wasn’t concerned with her knowledge of his relationship with Dan. “Have you ever been in love before?”

He could imagine Lennyx shaking her head, blonde hair whipping around her face. The metal around her neck clanked together. “No, my lord, and I don’t think I will ever be.” Hesitation. “However I know how hard it is for a loving person to lose somebody they care about. While I can’t relate, I sympathize with you.”

That was news to Phil, but at the same time it didn’t seem like a long shot at all. Phil had known Lennyx for nearly his entire life and she had never shown romantic interest. He’d always just been too focused on himself to notice. He’s heard of people not being romantically attracted to anybody before, and briefly wondered if that was Lennyx. But then he realised that it didn’t matter, that Lennyx was out there living her life how she wanted to, and Phil wasn’t going to butt in. 

He turned his head and looked at her, found a small smile on her face. “You’re happy, right? Even though this is your job?”

Lennyx chuckled and nodded, blue eyes shining. “Through you, I have found trust, friendship, and loyalty. Even though this is my job, you have provided me and my family a space to live when we had nothing, and food on our table to eat. You may act all tough, but then you open up to me at 4 in the morning about your feelings. I could not ask for a better honour, Prince Philip.”

Phil sighed, his heart swelling in his chest and his eyes wet. He never knew that someone else respected him so much; and now he was realising just how much he respected Lennyx as well. He sure was lucky. “Please, just call me Phil.”

“But Prince-” Lennyx interjected, only to stop when Phil put his hand up to stop her, shaking his head. 

“That’s an order,” he joked, which made Lennyx laugh again. 

“Whatever you say, Phil.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings include violence, blood, mentions of throwing up, amputation, and ableism. Ahhh it's finally done!!! At long last! I can't believe it! I've been working on this fic since last June so it feels a bit unreal! Thank you so much for your patience in getting the last chapter up, I had a few things come up that were unexpected so I wasn't able to get it up as soon as I would have liked. I'm just glad I was able to upload it at all! Thank you so much to dandelionisonfire for your endless support and betaing. I could not have done this without you! I hope you guys liked this fic as much as I did.

The trek to Dan’s house was a rather long one, both because they didn’t have Dan with them, and also because they were traveling by foot instead of horse and carriage. There wasn’t much talk between them, mostly because Phil was trapped in his own head, worrying about things that he couldn’t change and wondering if he would truly be able to change his father’s mind.

When they arrived at Dan’s hut, his attention was immediately brought to the dragons grazing in the garden, followed by castle guards ransacking the entire place. Looking through his belongings, tearing apart his furniture, searching for _anything_ that would peg Dan as guilty. Ducking behind a tree to watch, Phil could tell by the way that they were yelling at each other from across the yard that they were getting frustrated.

If they had thought they’d find something, they were truly imbeciles. Even if Dan _were_ the culprit, he wouldn’t hide his things in such plain sight.

Phil turned to Lennyx, staying low and locking eyes with her. “I’m going to try to get the attention of Dryas,” he whispered. “We can’t let them know we’re here or I might get in a fight with the guards.” It was supposed to be a joke, but it came out flat.

Lennyx nodded her approval and Phil took that as his chance to start sneaking around. He was hyper aware of his surroundings, looking for any possible way that he could get caught in order to avoid those spaces. He mainly snuck through the bushes, sticking his head out every once in a while to see if Dryas was nearby. She wasn’t. 

Phil was growing antsy, wondering if maybe she had been taken into custody. He couldn’t imagine that they’d get ahold of her so quickly due to her size and power, but perhaps the guards could surprise Phil for once. 

The worry dissipated when he found her drinking water out of a stream by the mountains. She was a bit further away from the cabin than the other dragons Phil had seen, so the guards were still farther away, searching for notes or hidden plans that they wouldn’t find. It was a perfect chance for Phil to get her alone and speak with her. 

“Dryas!” Phil hissed from the bushes. He was only kind of confident that he could actually communicate with the beasts, only ever having talked to Atlas before and occasionally Ophelia. Dryas continued to graze so Phil cleared his throat and tried again, slightly louder. That seemed to do the trick, because Dryas lifted her head and stared right at him, her black eyes causing a shiver to crawl down his throat. He felt like she was staring through his soul. He gestured her forward. “Come speak to me. But stay inconspicuous. I don’t want the guards to see me.”

To his surprise, Dryas walked over to him, starting to eat the grass by the bushes that he was in. From here, he could see the way the sun glinted from her scales and feel the hot breath from her mouth. She didn’t say anything so Phil took that as his cue to go on, even with Lennyx staring at him as though he’d grown two heads. 

“The guards have accused Dan of murder and he’s currently being kept in the dungeons until tomorrow, when he will be hanged.” Dryas perked her ears and her scales stood up on end but she did not say anything yet. “Apparently a dragon had murdered a bunch of people yesterday morning. Since Dan is the only one nearby who knows how to train the beasts, they believe he is guilty. The dragon was large and red and breathed fire, so they believe he used you to do so. I do not believe Dan or you could do anything of the sort so I am trying to prove to them that they are wrong. Do you know anything about this?”

Dryas lifted her head and huffed, snuffling at Phil’s hair. She sniffed him and Phil stayed absolutely still while she did so. Lennyx pointed her sword at Dryas, but Phil halted her with his hand. Finally, Dryas sighed and leaned back. “ _Neither Daniel nor I were accountable for such actions_ ,” she told Phil. Her voice, deep and rich, threw Phil off guard. He wanted to jump for joy, yell that he could understand other dragons, but he held it inside. For now. “ _I am too old, too weak to fly to the kingdom. My flame is dim and cannot be lit so easily. Dan’s heart is too big and fragile to plan anything out that is so horrible as to murder._ ”

Phil nodded in understanding. He could feel Lennyx’s eyes on him but he didn’t feel like explaining himself today. “That’s what I thought. Do you know of any dragon that could fit the description and do something like this?”

Dryas nodded and bowed her head. “ _Aye. Diablo. He is hiding in the Bloodmouth caves. He is dangerous so I do not recommend going by yourselves, Prince.”_

“I have to do this for Dan. Is there anything I can do to convince him to give himself up and turn himself in?”

“ _I’m afraid the answer is not that easy. But you can try. Call upon Calypso to bring you to the caves. She can fly you and your friend there and will be able to protect you against Diablo if need be. However if he starts showing any amount of violence, I suggest you run as soon as you can and never turn back_.”

Phil huffed. “I have to do this and bring him back one way or another. I will not face Dan again until he is freed.”

“ _In that case, I wish you luck, Prince. But don’t say I didn’t warn you._ ” With that, Dryas turned and made her way across the yard, choosing a nice area in the middle of the grass where the sun was casting a particularly bright circle upon. She curled up there, purring like a cat, and Phil wished he could be that unconcerned. 

Phil straightened a little bit and turned to Lennyx so that he could begin to explain the plan. “Dryas said that there’s a dragon that fits the same description who lived in the Bloodmouth caves. His name is Diablo. We’re supposed to ask Calypso for help.”

Lennyx pursed her lips. “And you understood all of that?” she asked quizzically as Phil began to walk once more, scanning the area for Calypso, who he’d seen but never interacted with much. 

Phil shrugged. “Dan’s taught me well, I guess,” he muttered. Dan’s name left a bitter taste in his mouth, like he was holding himself back from throwing up all over the grass. He shook his head, trying to snap out of it. He knew that dwelling on Dan right now would do nothing but hold him back. Precious daylight was being wasted every millisecond that he was not on the move. 

So he trudged through, buried his inner flames in the deepest part of himself where he would access it later. He stayed focused on the task at hand, scanning the field for Calypso with Lennyx in tow. She was quiet for the most part, the strong and silent type, but Phil appreciated it especially in this moment. She was good to rely on as to not get them both caught. 

At last, he found Calypso, sitting to the side of the front door. It seemed as though he’d caught a rabbit and was chewing thoughtfully on the bones, staring at the intruders with slitted green eyes and flared nostrils. Calypso was large, but not as large as Dryas. He was a deep blue colour with black and white flecks that made his feathers look like a galaxy. His wings were mainly made of feathers which then taper off towards his body into what seemed to be icicles, but were probably just elongated scales. He had four legs with long claws dug deep into the ground and long, pointed ears. Phil had heard Dan briefly discussing Calypso before, so he knew that this specific dragon harboured ice powers. 

He was certainly terrifying, Phil would give him that. His slitted green eyes made him seem even more so. Phil would hate to be on the receiving end of that stare. 

“There he is,” Phil murmured to Lennyx, pointing out the dragon. 

He heard Lennyx inhale deeply. “He looks… dangerous.”

Phil shrugged and moved forward, glancing around to make sure the guards were all paying attention elsewhere. “Feel free to back out if need be. It won’t be held against you.”

“If you think I’m backing out, you clearly don’t know me,” Lennyx hissed back, but Phil could tell she wasn’t angry, just on edge. 

“You’re very loyal and I’m lucky to have a guard who unquestioningly follows me wherever,” Phil told her sincerely. And then he spoke towards Calypso, raising his voice only slightly. Dragon ears were more sensitive than human ears, so Phil reckoned Calypso could probably have heard them all along. “Calypso! We need your help.”

Calypso glanced towards them, narrowing his eyes. There was a bone in his mouth, drool leaking onto his jaw, and Phil could see a row of razor sharp teeth. “ _What do you need, human?_ ” he growled, completely unwelcoming. 

Phil deserved it probably. He was the one on Calypso’s property right after his own guards showed up, no Dan in sight. The dragons all had every right to believe their master was gone due to Phil’s own hands. So he gave Calypso the rundown, told him that Dan was in possession of the King, scheduled to be hanged. He needed to get to the Bloodmouth caves to see Diablo and ask him about the murders. More specifically, how he needed Calypso’s help. 

Calypso laughed and stood on his four feet. He spat out the bone and swished his tail, which had long blue spikes at the end. “ _And why should I help you, a mere human, after my homes have all been destroyed by human hands? After you keep destroying the things I hold close to me? I fear I do not care about the people in your dear Lilium. You’ve done nothing for us.”_

Phil bowed his head and he got on his knees, showing complete submission and trust for the beast. His heart was roaring in his chest, hoping to everything that is holy that Calypso would agree no matter how much he hated humans. “I believe that you would not like to see Dan undergo an unfair death, and neither would I. I… care about him.” He didn’t know how to say that he loved Dan without sounding too gay. “Plus, it would save you guys as well. Once Dan is gone, you will surely be executed as well. If we can save Dan, I assure you that no harm will befall you and you will be granted anything that you desire.”

Calypso hummed, which sounded more like a low growl. He blinked shrewdly at Phil, and then turned towards the hut. “ _Stay there_ ,” he ordered. Phil stayed put, watching as he poked it head in the hut. There was a lot of shouting on behalf of the guards in there, but Calypso seemed unbothered. He emerged again with a sword trapped between his teeth, which he then trudged forward and dropped it in front of Phil. “ _Take that. You’re going to need it._ ” He glanced back at the door, where guards were beginning to run out in pursuit of the _dragon with a freaking sword_. “ _Now hop on my back, both of you, before they can stop us.”_

Phil cursed under his breath and flung forward. There was no time to explain to Lennyx as he harshly grabbed the sword, holding it in a death grip with one hand. He motioned for Lennyx to follow him, and then Calypso was bowing his head, allowing Phil to mount him. Phil grabbed onto one of his spikes, careful not to slash out with his sword, and hoisted himself onto Calypso’s back. When he was safely on top of him, he reached a hand down and helped Lennyx up as well. 

The guards began to yell, now having full sight of him. Phil chuckled and glanced over at them, recognising a few of them. He smirked as Calypso began to flap his wings, the burst of air knocking the guards off of their feet. 

They gaped at Phil as he rose into the sky, and then he waved heartily. “If you see my father,” he yelled to them over the sound of the wind, “tell him his son said ‘fuck you’!” And then he took the sword and pointed it at them, clinging with one hand onto Calypso. He was probably insane, but just this act made him feel more powerful than he ever had before. Sitting atop a dragon, a guard behind him, flying in the air with a sword and his hair wildly blowing around his face. 

He couldn’t help but believe it’d be better if Dan could be there with him as well, though. 

“That… was amazing, Phil,” Lennyx said as soon as they reached a higher altitude, away from the yelling and screaming of the guards below them. 

Phil kept his eyes on the ground, watching as the guards fell over one another, trying to scramble over each other as though they couch reach them with their own two feet and hands. Phil scoffed at them, dropped the sword to his side. “It was nothing,” Phil said nonchalantly. “The most important thing is that Dan is safe. I don’t care about anything else.”

“You know,” Lennyx said a bit softer. As soft as she could while still being heard over the sound of Calypso’s wings anyways. “You’re different now than you used to be. You used to be very cold and unapproachable but now it feels like you’re warmer and full of intense love for the people you care about. I never would have thought that you’d find that in someone like Dan, but I’m glad you did. You constantly surprise me.”

Phil didn’t know whether he should be offended by the comment or grateful. It was as though she was putting down his personality but also complimenting him at the same time. He decided quickly that he was too tired to argue and just nodded his head, looking out at the horizon. “Thank you, Lennyx.” The sun was beginning to set, sinking below the mountain line, bringing Phil’s stomach with it. They didn’t have much time at all. The sky was awash with blood and Phil closed his eyes so he didn’t have to imagine it being Dan’s blood washed over the cobblestone in the village centre. 

Instead he focused on the feel of the wind against his face, the flap of Calypso’s wings, the way the air was cold and thin. He focused on the weightless feeling, of how he was flying for the first time in his life. Flying wasn’t something he’d ever done; they left that to the birds, instead traveling by horseback to their neighbouring kingdoms. He’d never thought he would fly either, yet here he was, on the back of a _dragon_ , trying to save somebody else’s world. 

For a split second, time didn’t feel real and Phil felt as though he’d descended to a separate dimension. 

He leaned his head forward, resting it on Calypso’s neck. He sighed and let the coolness of the scales soothe him out of his anxious thoughts and tried to focus on literally anything except for Dan. 

Luckily for him, it wasn’t too much longer until Calypso started to drop from the sky, pulling his wings back and actually doing a nosedive towards the ground. Phil gripped onto Calypso’s spikes so that he wouldn’t fall as his stomach catapulted into his throat, choking him and making him gasp for air. He didn’t like this feeling at all, as though he were going to puke all over Calypso’s back, which would surely ruin him and earn him a bite to the leg.

They landed with a large crash, one that split through several trees and made the ground shake between them. Calypso didn’t even flinch, and Phil admired that he was such a strong beast, one that didn’t seem to be easily hurt. Dryas was absolutely right when she said that Calypso was the right dragon for a job such as this. “ _We’re here, humans,_ ” Calypso grumped, lowering his body closer to the ground so that Phil and Lennyx could hop off of his back. 

As he did so, Phil glanced around at where they’d landed and felt his hair stand up on his arms. They had landed in a forest, one that was completely dark despite the lack of leaves on the trees. The trees were all pale white, the bark peeling off into curled spikes. There was a heavy layer of ash on the ground and no visible shrubbery in sight. Turning his head to the right, Phil found himself staring at a large opening in the side of a cliff, one that towered over him to make him feel like the smallest creature in the world. He could not see inside, and there was a stench coming from it that was equivalent to raw meat. 

For a moment, Phil considered just leaving and never looking back .He didn’t need love, did he? He could just go back to his fancy home and live a great life with good food and comfortable pillows. He didn’t need to be here, risking his life for somebody else by charging at a dragon that was obviously far too big for him to fight alone. Dan could make it out of there by himself, right?

But then Phil sighed and grit his teeth, steeling himself. No. He needed to be strong. He’d come so far and he couldn’t turn back now, no matter how badly he wanted to. He would never be able to live with himself if he just left Dan to die, much like Dan’s mother did to him when he was only four years old. Phil wanted to be the best person that he could possibly be for Dan, so he was going to do no matter what it took to get Dan out alive. No matter how badly he got hurt, he wouldn’t be finished until he was done with the mission or dead. 

He turned to Calypso and Lennyx, smirking. Looking at the two of them, heavily armoured, made him feel underdressed. He should have thought about this, should have dressed more appropriately instead of just wearing easy to move in clothing and a chest plate, but there was nothing he could do about it now. If worst came to worse, Calypso and Lennyx would take care of it for him. “Okay, so how about Lennyx and I go inside together first. Calypso, stay on guard for now. If you hear any funky business coming from inside, then assume the worst and barge on in. We don’t know if this dragon is going to go along with us easily or make it hard for us.”

Calypso nodded and sat down. Amongst the trees, even he looked small. “ _Aye. I would not go in there expecting the best, though. From what I have heard, Diablo is a vicious beast. I am unsure if even Dan would be able to tame him._ ”

Phil’s heart sped up and he needed to just _relax_. How was he going to defeat such a powerful dragon if not even _Dan_ could tame the beast? He shook his head slightly. He couldn’t think of that right now, he just had to _do_ it. “Gotcha. I’ll be careful.”

He looked at Lennyx and nodded at her, earning him a nod back. They were both as ready as they would ever be. Lennyx wasn’t showing anything in her gaze except for sharp determination, as though nobody would be able to get past her. Phil was positive that everybody could see the nerves brimming underneath his skin, spreading through his veins like murky poison. 

As they turned to make their way into the cave, a loud bang to their left alerted them to the presence of somebody else there with them. The noise was like thunder, so loud that it split the sky, and Phil automatically glanced up. His eyes widened and he immediately jumped, grabbing Lennyx and pushing her out of the way as a large tree fell right where they had been standing. They fell to the ground, a tangle of limbs and armor, and Phil felt it as his shoulder made contact with the hard forest floor. 

But there was no time to waste, Lennyx immediately grabbing and his shoulder and pulling him up to a standing position once more, where they stared at the fallen tree with trepidation. Phil raised his sword in front of him, glanced around, an attempt at finding who had made the tree fall. 

It didn’t take him long to find out. 

A dragon stepped over the tree, coming to stand a few paces in front of them. His eyes were completely black and looked like jewels shining against dark red scales. When he breathed, smoke came out of his nostrils, and long red wings stretched into the trees. Claws sunk into the earth below, easily ripping into the ash and soil with no problem at all. He was giant, bigger than Calypso, and Phil had never been more terrified in his entire life. 

“ _What are you doing here_?” the dragon, which Phil assumed was Diablo, growled out. He huffed and Phil could feel his hot breath against his face, the way he smelled like fire and burning wood. 

Phil raised his sword in front of him, backing away slightly so that the beast wasn’t so much in his face anymore. His voice came out a lot stronger than he felt, and he could hear Calypso behind him, feel how he was stood protectively behind him just in case Diablo attacked. “I came here to ask if you were the dragon who murdered people in my village,” Phil told him. “Did you or did you not come to Lilium yesterday morning and slay my people?” 

There was a beat, and then Diablo leaned his head back and laughed. Black teeth protruded from his gums, purple saliva dripping down his chin. “ _Lilium? Is that what that dumb was called?_ ” he mused when he stopped, shoving his face towards Phil and sniffing him. Calypso snarled and Lennyx bared her weapon at him, but Phil waved them back momentarily. “ _And if it was me? What will you do then?_ ” 

“You have two options,” Phil told him. He hoped he came across as someone strong, as someone who would not let anybody walk all over him. He had no doubt in his mind that he didn’t come across like that. What had happened to the old Phil, the one who was thick as steel and didn’t let fear into his heart? The one who could make peasants tremble in their shoes? Since when had this new personality taken him over and made him soft? He didn’t quite know if he liked it. “Stand on trial for your wrongdoings or be taken by force.” 

“ _By force? Is that supposed to_ scare _me, human? Are you trying to_ threaten _me?”_

Phil nodded, standing defiantly as Diablo breathed into his face, leaving a layer of soot on his cheeks and nose. “I suppose I am.”

Diablo growled, taking a step forward. Phil was forced to take a step backwards, bumping into Lennyx as he did so. “ _I don’t take orders from pitiful humans_ ,” he rasped out, eyes lit with black flames. If Phil hadn’t known better, he would assume that he was staring straight into the eyes of the devil. “ _Leave my caves at once_.” 

“I’m not leaving unless you come with me,” Phil shot back, and then Diablo was jumping forward, mouth open as he tried to take a bite out of Phil’s flesh.

Lennyx pushed Phil out of the way this time, slamming them into the ground, and then Calypso was catapulting himself at Diablo with a loud snarl. It was a battle between fire and ice, red and blue, as they tussled on the floor. Both dragons were roaring loudly, causing the tree branches to shake and the nearby crows to squawk and fly away. Phil scrambled away from Lennyx, looking for his sword that had fallen out of his grasp. He found it only a meter away and picked it up, but there was no reason for him to because it seemed like Diablo was currently busy trying to take care of Calypso.

So he watched instead, on his feet, sword pointed towards them just in case he needed to use it. He watched as they lashed at each other, ripped through each other’s skin with their claws, nipped at each other’s throats. They were both similar in fighting styles, which was interesting because Dan’s dragons were all typically non-fighters. And yet Calypso fought with passion, with anger and danger. He used his ice powers to freeze areas of Diablo’s body and would then bite the area, causing orange blood to spurt onto the ash.

The way he fought reminded Phil of Dan, most of all. The way that they played dirty, Calypso nipping at Diablo’s back legs until he was limping. In return, Diablo would melt the ice from his skin and blow fire across his scales, turning them a shade of blue that was so dark it was almost black. It seemed painful by the way Calypso howled and fought back even more viciously, snapping his teeth at Diablo and trying to tear into his flesh. 

A particularly hard bite into Calypso’s leg had him collapsing with a loud cry, struggling on the ground as Diablo’s teeth tried to rip him into pieces. It was then that Phil decided to spring for action, knowing that if he just stayed back and did nothing, Calypso would get seriously hurt. 

He bolted forward, letting out a battle cry as he launched himself at the creature, sword above his head. He didn’t get far before Diablo was swiping at him, causing him to dodge out of the way, narrowly missing him by a hair strand. And then both he and Lennyx were lashing out at him with their weapons, trying to confuse him by using their size to their advantage, weaving around his legs like a couple of pestering cats.

For a moment, they were doing good. They weren’t getting hit, dodging all of Diablo’s hits so narrowly that Phil didn’t know _how_ they were even dodging them. Even though Phil’s lungs were burning and it hurt to breathe, Phil made sure to keep running, to keep lashing out, at least until Calypso could get some of his strength back and deliver the finishing blow. 

It was going fine. Up until Phil did the worst thing that he could have possibly done and tripped over his own two feet.

It happened all too quickly that Phil was blindsided by what was happening. His foot caught, proving his clumsiness, and then he was falling forward, hands flying forward to break his fall onto the ground. He never reached the ground, because suddenly there was a tight, painful grip around his leg, teeth sinking through his skin like butter. He screamed as the pain became overbearing, as white-hot stab through his flesh, bones crunching under the strength. Diablo lifted him up like that, not biting through fully even though he was definitely able to, but instead using that as leverage to lift him and throw him across the clearing.

He hit a tree at full force, but he didn’t even feel it. All he could feel was the excruciating pain in his leg, a pain so terrible that he couldn’t even put it into words. He wanted to tear his leg off, as though that would make it all better and the pain would no longer be there. He wanted to go back in time and stop himself from pursuing the dragon by himself without Dan. And if that was impossible, then fighting the dragon _without tripping_ would also be good. But now he was crumpled on the ground curled into a ball and holding onto his leg like he could stitch himself back together with just his hands. 

There was too much blood. Leaking through his fingers, dripping onto the ground and staining the ash a disgusting brown colour. He couldn’t hear anything anymore, too focused on himself that he couldn’t make sense of Lennyx when she suddenly appeared at his side, grabbing his face with two hands and screaming in his face. He could barely even see her face, his eyes blurry and the edges of his vision slowly going black, like there was ink slowly dripping into his eyes. 

Lennyx turned and said something to Calypso, and Phil saw Calypso jump towards Diablo, sending a blow to his head that was so hard that Diablo collapsed to the ground, shaking his head. Then Calypso was dashing forward, bowing down and allowing Lennyx to lift Phil onto his back, keeping him in place by wrapping steel arms around his stomach. 

Phil was losing too much blood; that much was obvious. He couldn’t take his eyes away from his wound, how his trousers were torn, showing the blackening flesh underneath, the deep gashes that were so deep that Phil didn’t even want to think about it. There was blood everywhere, not seeming to stop flowing, making red drip down Calypso’s scales, a bright contrast to the blue scales.

He grimaced weakly and closed his eyes. He couldn’t look anymore.

-

Phil woke up slowly, as though he were trying to wade himself out of sluggish swamp water. His body was sore all over and he could hardly move, his hands dead at his sides, his back pressed against something soft. 

Despite having been sleeping, Phil felt exhausted. His eyes hurt and felt swollen, like big lumps of flesh on his face. He didn’t want to open them, but he could hear some hustle and bustle around him, could hear someone whispering close by but couldn’t make out the words, but he didn’t have the energy to even try. 

He took a deep breath, tried to lift his head, but ended up just groaning instead. His neck hurt and his head was just as heavy as his arms and legs were. Why did it feel like there were weights on him, crushing him, keeping him in place?

The whispering stopped, and then there were footsteps. They stopped beside him and then soft fingertips were running along his jawline. Another soft whisper, this time his name in the form of a question. Probably asking if he was awake. 

His tongue was thick in his mouth, practically useless as he tried to speak and found that he couldn’t. He swallowed and tried again but only another groan came out. He applauded himself on the back for that. At least he was able to make noise, because he couldn’t seem to do much else. 

It took him a long time before he was able to move even slightly. At first, it was just a flick of his fingers, followed by a sharp inhale from the person beside him. Then he could scrunch his eyebrows together, could move his wrists, move the toes of his right foot. He fluttered his eyelashes, attempting to open his eyes, and it took him another few tries to _actually_ open them. 

He squinted against the bright lights that blinded him. Why was it necessary to shine a light in his face while he was asleep? That totally defeated the purpose of sleeping. Yet he stared at the light anyways, blinking heavily, trying to sort his thoughts out. 

He could tell that he was on a bed of some kind. It wasn’t his bed, that’s for sure. It was cushioned, but not nearly enough. Quite lumpy, in fact, as though the mattress was lying on metal. He found that the reason he couldn’t move his body was because his arms, chest, and thighs were bound to the bed in a restricting way. He tried to yank on them but found that they were too tight and he was too weak to be able to do actually move against them. He couldn’t really feel anything below his waist, his body somewhat numb, but he figured that it was probably just because he had been laying for a long time. That happened sometimes. 

When he turned his head slightly, he made eye contact with a pair of brown eyes. They were staring at him intently with worry, the boy’s face in a light frown. His hair was a mess on the top of his head. Phil wondered if his hair was also a mess. Why was this man standing at his bed? Where was he? Why was he not in his own bed? 

The man stepped forward slightly and bent down so he could look closer at Phil. He cleared his throat lightly. “How are you feeling, love?” he asked, and suddenly everything rushed at Phil with full force. “You’ve been asleep for four days.” 

Dan. This was Dan. The man whom he loved, the man who had gotten put in jail for something he didn’t do. Phil recalled a dragon being mentioned, a fight with his father, a kiss. He recalled going to actually _see_ the dragon and fighting it as well. He remembered being bitten and thrown. He didn’t remember much else. 

Phil shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows, really looking at Dan now. His arms were cuffed in front of him and there were a couple of guards standing behind him against the wall. Dan looked cleaner than Phil last saw him, wasn’t in a jail cell, was _alive_. “Where are we?” Phil rasped out, tugging at his binds. “Why are you here? Why am I strapped to the bed? Where’s my father?”

Dan let out a long sigh and there was something off about his facial expression. He was smiling gently, far too gently, an expression that Phil had never seen on him before. Yet, something about that grin was tight, as though he was stressed out, holding something back. Phil wanted to hit him, to tell him to just spit it out already, but his hands were bound and there was no way he would be able to.

All he could do was stare at Dan, panic welling in his chest because there was something _wrong_ , something that Phil couldn't help with. “ _Phil_ ,” Dan breathed and then leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Phil’s head. They heard the slice of metal as swords were pointed at Dan, to which Dan turned a hard glare at them and told them to mind their own business. When they lowered their swords - after confirmation that this was fine by Phil - Dan slowly laid down and wrapped himself around Phil’s body. He was gentle, too gentle, practically spooning Phil’s side and laying his head in the crook of his neck. 

Phil could feel Dan’s breath against his skin, a gentle reminder that he was here, that he wasn’t dead, that _Phil_ wasn’t dead. Or was he? Was this heaven? Was Dan the person to greet him to the afterlife? “Are we dead?” Phil whispered, turning his face to nuzzle his nose against Dan’s forehead. The movement made his bones crack but it was worth it. 

Dan laughed but his voice was watery and thick with tears. “Not quite, I’m afraid,” he mumbled out, trying to sound teasing, but only sounding small and pathetic. “I suppose I should update you.”

Phil would nod, but that hurt too much, so he just said a small, “yeah.”

Dan kept his face buried in Phil’s neck as he spoke, voice muffled by his shirt. He didn’t have his arm around Phil’s stomach, but it was clutched in the blanket at Phil’s side. Maybe he was just afraid to hurt him too badly. Phil was just happy to have him like this. “You disappeared for a long time to go fight a dragon on behalf of me. When you were finally brought back to the kingdom, you were completely unconscious and you were losing so much blood after being bitten. Lennyx tried to explain that you’d gone to fight Diablo to set me free, and it was rather convincing considering you were passed out from blood. So as you were getting some… _surgery_ done,” Dan hesitated on the word and Phil was too out of it to stop him and ask what that was about, “your father came to my cell and told me that my execution was suspended for a while, as well as my holding in the cell. He told me I was able to see you in the healing room and I was able to sleep in a guest bedroom, but I have to be cuffed at all times and I have to be heavily guarded. At least until you can give your side of the story and propose another option.”

Phil closed his eyes and hummed. “Good, that’s good,” he replied dreamily. “And Diablo? What are we going to do about him?”

“I could probably train him if your father would let me. But we have to hold the suspension until you’re all better.”

“All better!” Phil scoffed, eyes flying open so he could glare at the ceiling. “I _am_ all better! I’m peachy keen! I feel great!” To show this, he wiggled his entire body. He wiggled his arms, his waist, his head. His legs were still numb, but if he concentrated enough he could move them. Wait no, he could move _one_ leg. 

He tried to wiggle the other leg, thinking hard about the area and telling his muscles to obey him. His thigh moved slightly, but as it did, excruciating pain shot up his leg and through his entire body as though he’d just gotten an arrow shoved into his knee. 

He screamed, tried to move his arms to put pressure on the area that hurt, but he couldn't. He lifted his head and glanced down at himself, trying to see why his leg was hurting so much. It didn’t really do much because there was a blanket over his body, but the area where his left leg should be was surprisingly empty. 

He gaped for a moment, too shocked to think, too shocked to act, and then he began to thrash his body. He wanted to get out of these restraints, wanted to shove back the covers and show himself that his mind was just playing tricks on him. He had just gone through some terrible trauma, of course he’d be freaked out about that. He didn’t actually lose a leg. How ridiculous would that be? A prince without a leg! He couldn’t even imagine!

Gentle hands on his shoulder pushed him back, his vision filled with nothing but Dan all of a sudden. Dan was frowning sadly, eyes melancholic and full of pain, as though he knew exactly what was happening and why Phil was losing it. “Hey look at me,” Dan said calmly. Phil looked at him, vision unsteady, blurry. “It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m here for you and you’re going to be okay. We’re going to get through this.”

“Dan.” Dan stopped, closing his mouth with a grimace. Phil took a deep breath. “Where the fuck is my leg?”

The question made Dan’s eyes begin to tear up, his eyelashes sticking together with the droplets. “Diablo’s bite was really bad, Phil,” he whispered. 

“So they cut off my fucking _leg_?!”

Dan shook his head, then did a weird thing where he tried to nod and shake his head at the same time. Then he was full on nodding. “It was either that or you didn’t make it, love. It was the only option.” 

With a burst of anger sidled with fear, Phil exploded. His chest was on fire, his entire face was red. His eyes were wet and his teeth hurt from gritting them. His entire _body_ hurt. What kind of prince was he? “A prince!” he laughed aloud. “A bloody prince! Can you believe it? Can you believe that I can still earn the title of a prince when I’ve screwed up so badly that I lost a _leg_? How good of a son I must be! How wonderfully proud of me that my parents must be! And how sorry you must feel, knowing you have to spend your days with a broken prince. If you wanted to back out now, I wouldn’t blame you. You deserve better than _this_.” Phil nodded to his body, eyes catching on the flatness around where his leg was supposed to be. From what he could see, it seemed he didn’t have a leg after his knee. 

Dan made a pained noise that kind of sound like a growl, his eyebrows furrowed. “I know that you’re frustrated and upset. You have every right to be. But don’t you dare think I’m going to leave you or that I deserve better than you just because you lost a limb. My feelings for you aren’t as shallow as you seem to think they are.” He seemed hurt, sitting on the edge of Phil’s bed without touching him. His face was crumpled and it was almost like he was trying to hold back tears. 

Immediately, Phil felt bad. He didn’t mean for his words to come out like that, of course he didn’t. He was just not in a good space right now. Who would be, after losing a limb? There was a feeling in his chest as though he was going to explode, his heart beating so fast that he wondered how it hadn’t stopped beating completely. He swallowed down the bile rising in his throat and tried to reach out for Dan. He couldn’t. “Dan,” he whispered instead. Dan hummed but kept his head downturned. “I’m scared.” 

And that was when Phil truly broke down. 

Before, he was angry. He was blaming himself for not being able to protect himself or the person he loved. He was angry because there was no way he could protect his people when he became king if he couldn’t even protect himself, if he couldn’t protect Dan. He was useless. 

Now, he was just _sad_. Losing his leg felt like he was losing a part of himself. He wanted to be the best person that he could for Dan, and he didn’t know how he would be able to live up to those expectations when he was now only half human. He could feel a hole begin to gape in his chest, a feeling of emptiness, and he didn’t know how to deal with that. 

The way that he dealt with it, apparently, was by taking in a deep breath and then letting it out with an onslaught of tears. Like a dam broke, Phil couldn’t stop himself from crying. He was full on sobbing, choking on his tears, his breath, trying to reach for Dan to just _hold_ him, but he was strapped to the bed with nowhere to go. He felt hysterical, like he couldn’t calm down. He felt like the world had dimmed and cast him into darkness, stripping away everything good in his life piece by piece.

Like a spot of sunshine in the gloomy world, Dan was hugging him, crushing Phil to his chest as best as he could when Phil was strapped down. His arms were under Phil’s shoulders and his face was buried in his neck again. He rubbed his sides, whispering that everything was going to be okay, that he was going to stay with him no matter what, that they were going to figure this out together. Dan told him that while he understood Phil’s worrisome thoughts, that his newfound disability didn’t make him any less of a prince, didn’t make him any less worthy. He told Phil of all the great things that disabled people had achieved in the past, and it made Phil think that _maybe_ , maybe everything would turn out okay.

“I need to see,” Phil gasped out. “I need to see what I look like.”

“Phil…” Dan started warily. “Do you think that’s the best thing for you right now?”

Phil shook his head. “I need to see. I need to see what I look like, Dan. _Please_.” He needed to tell himself that this was real, that this wasn’t a nightmare, that things were going to be different from now on. 

Dan sighed sadly and sat up. His eyes were so red that he looked like some sort of dragon himself. A sad dragon, maybe. When he stood up, he bit his lip, staring down at Phil, at his leg, like he was thinking about what to do. He ran a hand through his hair. “Okay,” he said. And then, “okay,” again. With quivering hands, he reached over Phil’s body and slowly brought the blanket up, rolling it up so slowly that Phil wanted to yell at him to just hurry up already and quit building it up. He didn’t, though. He couldn’t talk. 

When the blanket was fully lifted, revealing Phil’s leg - or, _lack_ of leg - Phil felt dizzy. He inhaled, staring at the empty space, at the bruising around his knee which tapered into _nothing_. Phil took in a few more deep breaths. It was okay. He could deal with that. He had no leg. But that’s _fine_. 

He threw up over the side of his bed, all over the floor.

“Oh dear,” Dan said automatically. He grabbed a tissue off of the side table and started to clean. It didn’t really do much, but it was a start. “Are you okay?”

Phil glared over at Dan. “Does it fucking look like I’m okay, you fucking fuck?” he asked sarcastically.

Dan hummed and looked him over with a frown. “No, I suppose not. But you do seem like you’re feeling better if you can joke like that.”

That was slightly true. Puking always made him feel a bit better because it made him feel less nauseous, made him feel physically lighter. He _hated_ throwing up, thought that there was nothing worse than that. He may have to change that opinion because losing a leg was pretty bad, but at least he was done throwing up. He scoffed and tilted his head back to glare at the ceiling. “Maybe my sarcasm is just a coping mechanism,” he muttered, which was also true. “Where’s my father? I want to speak with him.”

Dan froze and stared up at him from the floor where he was still trying to clean up with a single tissue. Did he not understand that that wouldn’t work? That he needed to use more than just a single tissue to clean up a mess like that? “Your father? You want to speak with him?”

Phil grit his teeth. “Guards! Go get the King for me, please.” As one of them scrambled out the door to fulfil his request, Phil turned his head to look at Dan. “And you. Provide me with cuddles immediately.”

With a light laugh, Dan abandoned the tissue on the floor. He walked over to another room for a second and Phil heard a sink running before he was returning and gently lying next to Phil. He laid with Phil much as he had before, head in Phil’s shoulder and body spooning Phil’s side. Because his hands were still cuffed, he couldn’t do anything with them aside from bury them into Phil’s blanket. He sighed comfortably and pressed a kiss to Phil’s collarbone, just a small one that made his skin buzz with electricity. 

“It’s going to be okay, right Dan?” Phil asked quietly. 

Dan nodded and gave his confirmation by nuzzling his nose into Phil’s neck. “Of course it’ll be okay. We’re Dan and Phil. We can get through anything.”

Phil could feel his chest squeeze and he willed himself not to cry again, instead laughing wetly. “God, when did we get so cheesy?”

“It’s supposed to be cheesy,” Dan murmured. And then they fell quiet, drinking in each other’s presence. 

Since Phil had woken up in a state of confusion, his thoughts had been going too quickly from one thought to another. He hadn’t had time to really think about anything, to be thankful that they were both _alive_ , that Phil’s father seemed to finally be sparing Dan’s life. Phil was still in a state of shock about his own limb, but it could have been worse. Much, much worse. He could have been dead. He could have lost Dan. He could have lost Lennyx. 

Everything that could have disappeared in an instance was still here. Dan was in his arms, Phil was (mostly) intact. Maybe things could work out still. Maybe his leg should have been the least of his worries. 

Their quiet time was interrupted by the door opening and Phil’s father walking inside. Dan tried to straighten up immediately, but Phil turned his head and bit his shoulder, showing that he wanted him to stay. He did, but he kept his eyes on alert, staring at the King warily. 

Phil and his father gazed at each other for a long time, both frozen. He didn’t really know what he wanted to say, and it seemed as though his father was in the same boat. It was obvious that the King had been under immense stress, hair a mess, eyes red and cheeks blotched. He sniffed and wiped his nose with his sleeve, which he _never_ would have done before. 

Finally, the King let a few tears fall as he walked over to his son. He engulfed both Phil and Dan in a hug, one that was careful because Phil was hurt, but a grand one nonetheless. “I’m so glad that you’re safe, my child,” the King whispered. “I should have listened to you from the start and this would not have happened. I’m sorry for ever doubting the two of you.”

Now, Phil was tearing up as well. All of his anger at his father seemed to melt away, replaced with guilt and ultimate sadness. He wanted to hold his father back, wanted to wrap his arms around both of his favourite people. “Can you unlock my binds so I can properly hug you?” Phil chuckled, voice cracking. 

The King laughed and nodded, pulling a key out of his gowns. He made quick work of Phil’s binds, letting Phil stretch out his body, bones cracking after not moving for so long. And then Phil was properly wrapping his arms around both Dan and his father, holding them close, afraid to let them go as though they would disappear. 

“Don’t think that this is your fault,” Phil told his father. “You were only doing what your citizens deemed best at the time. I was the one who decided to go out and fight that dragon, not you. You wanted to protect me and protect your kingdom. Even if you did so in the wrong way, I know you were only trying to do what was right.” 

They hugged for a long time, just dwelling in the fact that everybody was okay, that ties were mended, that there was no more bad blood. Of course, Phil felt guilty for how he had reacted, even though he knew it was well deserved. Either way, he was glad that his father had apologised because it gave him some peace of mind. 

When his father parted from their embrace, he sat on the edge of the bed opposite from Dan, who immediately settled back into Phil’s side. This time, Phil was able to put an arm around him and keep him close. “So you saw the dragon, right? And it wasn’t Dan’s?”

Phil shook his head. “Aye. This dragon was large and red and breathed fire, but his name was Diablo and he is incredibly violent. I asked him to leave Lilium alone and he did not listen, had put up a fight instead.”

His father nodded and sighed in relief. “Okay. Okay, that’s great. I believe you.” He turned to look at the guards, urging them forward. “Release the tamer’s cuffs please.” As they did so, he began to address Phil once more. “I was so worried that I’d lost my only son. If something like that had happened, I would have never forgiven myself.”

Phil pursed his lips and closed his eyes. He was suddenly exhausted. “It’s over and done with, so let’s just move past that, yeah? Let’s talk about what’s going to happen now that I don’t have a leg and I can’t move without feeling like death is greeting me.”

“Right.” The King leaned back, ran his fingers over Phil’s leg. “Our best scientists are working with technology right now to see if they can make a fake leg for you. We’ve never tried anything like this before so it could be years before you have something like that. In the meantime, we have medications and a physical therapist to help to get back on your feet- erm, _foot_.” He corrected himself. Phil laughed bitterly. “We have a wheelchair to help you get around, but other than that, nothing’s changed. You’re just going to have to be bedridden for a while until your wound fully heals.” 

Phil nodded. He didn’t expect any less. He hadn’t even expected to be able to have any sort of limb there anymore, already accepting that this was going to be his life now. For now, he would just have to learn how to live his life like this. With so much support on his side, it didn’t seem as scary anymore. “And Ophelia and Atlas? Can they be released now?”

“Yes. I had the guard go get them for you so it shouldn’t be too much longer until they are brought here.”

Just as he said that, the door burst open once again and an excited, _large_ , dragon was flinging itself at Phil. Phil let out a frightened scream as it landed on his body, beginning to lap at his cheeks and his hair and every piece of skin he could reach. It felt like Phil’s chest was getting crushed and the pain was back in his body tenfold. It was like a cat stepping on his balls except ten times worse because this was a dragon over a hundred pounds and his claws were gripping at Phil’s soft stomach, trying to keep leverage. “ _Atlas_!” Dan scolded, pushing him away. “You’re hurting him, you big oaf. If you want to be close to him, sit at his side, not _on top of_ him.”

Atlas bowed his head and apologised, curling up in a ball by Phil’s head and resting his chin on Phil’s forehead. It was awkward because he was so large that he was hanging off the bed, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable, so Phil didn’t make him move. Ophelia, on the other hand, was sitting on Dan’s shoulder, licking his ear in a way that made him giggle. He whispered a few words to her, something that sounded like he was saying he missed her, that he was glad she was okay. 

Phil smiled sleepily, suddenly tired. Even though he’d practically just woken up, he had already been through an onslaught of emotion. He had been scared, filled with sorrow, had been calm, then panicked, and now he was just ready to _sleep_. He allowed himself to drift, thankful that everything seemed as though it would be okay, that things were finally falling into place. 

But most of all, he was glad that the family seemed to be back together.

-

The days went by slowly and Phil felt like he was dying of boredom. He couldn’t really do anything when he was lying there like a useless lump, waiting for his body to heal, and there was nothing for him to do aside from read and sleep and occasionally cuddle with Dan. 

Dan was great. He came every day to tell Phil stories, stories about his life, stories that his mother used to tell him, gossip that he’d heard around the kingdom. And when Phil was able to get out of bed, able to move around as much as he possibly could, Dan was right there by his side, carrying him around on his back or helping him whenever he stumbled with his crutches. 

Phil found that he liked when Dan helped him bathe the most. Apparently when he wasn’t feeling good, he craved the intimacy of another person at all times, and bathing together was a good way to sustain him. 

The first time Dan drew Phil a bath, he had been embarrassed. He’d needed help getting out of his clothes and into the tub, but he had never been naked in front of another person since he’d been a child. He felt too exposed, too vulnerable, and so he asked Dan to join him, needing that little push to make him comfortable. 

The thing is, he wasn’t nervous about his body. He knew that he had a nice body, lean shoulders, a little tummy that definitely deserved kisses from a certain person. He was mainly nervous because Dan was going to be looking at him, looking at _all_ that he was. Dan’s history, one could say. 

Dan agreed to his proposal easily, giving Phil a light kiss. It was enough to calm him down a little bit, his shoulders relaxing as he allowed himself to strip from his robes, sitting on the floor so he didn’t have to struggle to stand. The cold air hit his chest like a icy fingers tracing over his skin. He lowered his lashes and looked at the marble flooring as he released his clothing onto the floor. He could feel his cheeks turning red with heat, could feel Dan’s eyes on him, and he didn’t want to see his reaction. Was he thinking that Phil’s body could be better? Was he liking what he was seeing? Phil didn’t know. He didn’t know if he _wanted_ to know yet.

Before Phil really had time to think about it too much, Dan was removing his clothes as well, revealing the tanned skin of his chest. It was littered with scars, some deeper and larger, others tiny and more minor. There was a large scar that ran down the length of his side, from ribs to his hip, and Phil wondered what that could have possibly been from. It was easy to see that Dan was no stranger to the wrath of an angry dragon, and yet he still loved the creatures like they were his own children. Phil didn’t quite understand, but he’d like to one day.

Dan’s body was absolutely beautiful. He had scarred skin that looked a bit like connected constellations. His skin was sunkissed and toned from working in the fields and training his creatures. His hip bones and clavicles were clearly visible, and Phil didn’t think that he had a kink for bones until then, but apparently he did. His hips were smooth and rounded and his thighs seemed so soft that Phil wanted to just run his hands over them, wanted to worship Dan’s entire body from his head to his toes. 

Phil gulped when Dan smirked and raised his eyebrows. “Am I making you nervous, my Prince?”

“You always make me nervous,” Phil murmured, looking up and making grabby hands at his dragon tamer. He puckered his lips as Dan reached for him, helped him up by lifting him by his armpits, and holding him close. Their chests were flushed together, making Phil blush. He’d never been naked with another person before and it was quite embarrassing, but he liked the feeling of being so close to Dan, of his hands on his bare skin, supporting him, keeping him standing. 

Dan leaned forward and pressed their lips together in a sweet kiss, pulling them closer to each other. Phil couldn’t breathe. All he could feel was Dan surrounding him, his warmth, his breath against his lips. It was innocent for the most part, no tongue involved, just a gentle kiss that told Phil how much Dan adored him. Aside from the fact that they were naked, there was nothing sexual about it. Phil was living for it. If he could just stay like this forever, he would be happy. 

But his leg was getting tired from standing on it, his thighs starting to shake, so Dan pulled away with a huffed laugh and gave him the fondest expression Phil had ever seen on him. “Let’s get you cleaned up,” he murmured, nuzzling their noses together. “You’re a mess.” 

“I’m not a mess, thank you very much,” Phil grunted, but he allowed Dan to help him into the bath, setting him on the side of the tub and holding him up as Phil swung his body around and sank into the warm water. He hissed as the hot water nearly singed his skin off, but it was a nice sting. It’d been a long time since he’d been able to take a bath, mostly cleaned up with a cloth in his own bed. So this was nice, this was much needed. 

Dan followed closely, settling behind Phil so he could wrap his arms around Phil’s stomach and hold him close to his chest. “I made this water too hot,” Dan grumbled, wincing a little bit as he completely submerged.

Phil shrugged. “I like the feeling of my skin being burned off,” Phil replied sarcastically. “Couldn’t you tell? After I got my own leg burned off? It’s a kink of mine.”

Dan splashed some water at him. “You’re the worst person in the world,” he muttered, grabbing a cup from the side of the tub and filling it with water. He told Phil to lean his head back against his chest, and Phil did, allowing Dan to pour the water through his hair. 

Conversation ceased between them as Dan began to run shampoo through Phil’s hair. Phil decided that the feeling of Dan’s fingers running through his scalp with gentle care, his nails sometimes scratching at his scalp, was the best thing in the entire world. He relaxed completed, his head tipped backwards, allowing Dan to wash out his hair and put conditioner in it. He was in absolute heaven and nothing could ruin this for him. 

As Dan began to soap Phil’s body, making sure he was nice and clean all over, Phil started talking, words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He didn’t really know where these thoughts were coming from, but he was suddenly curious, bathing with Dan making him more brave and open to discussing deeper topics. “Have you ever wanted to see your family again?” he asked quietly. “Just to see how they’re doing? If they’re alive and well?”

Dan paused his washing, making a pitiful noise in the back of his throat. It didn’t seem like he was too upset, just more taken off guard. “I suppose I’ve wondered,” Dan replied, slowly starting to wash Phil’s body again, leaving soapy suds all over his skin. It smelled like fancy lilac and vanilla, which made Phil hum with the familiar comfort of it all. “I’ve wondered how they’re doing. If they’re alive. If they think about me ever, if they think _I’m_ dead. For a long time, I was pretty angry at them for what they’ve done to me, how they just abandoned me like that in the mountains. I don’t quite understand why they would do something so feeble if I was going to die anyways. So I suppose I’d want to meet them again just to get a little closure, you know? Just to ask them _why_.”

Phil nodded and slid further into the water, washing away the soap and watching as it made bubbles rise to the surface. He expected nothing less. He would assume that Dan would be pretty angry with them, but would have questions that only they could answer and would want to know how they were doing. If he was the last Howell alive. “I can understand that,” Phil murmured quietly. “I can’t imagine how hard it would be to just keep wondering your whole life.”

Dan stopped soaping Phil’s body and they relaxed instead, his arms around Phil’s tummy and his chin on his shoulder. He pressed a light kiss to Phil’s neck and squeezed him tightly. “It stopped being so hard,” Dan told him honestly. “I found a new family, with you and my dragons.” 

The admittance made Phil fond, his cheeks blazing red, and he cuddled into Dan’s chest, soaking up his warmth. He figured he could stay here the whole day if possible, if the water wouldn’t get cold, if they didn’t have obligations. “You’re a cheese.”

“I’m _your_ cheese.”

“Sadly I’m lactose intolerant. I don’t want your cheese.”

Dan bit his shoulder in response, leaving imprints behind, and Phil was smiling so widely that his cheeks hurt. He was happy in that moment. Despite all of the bad things that had happened, he was happy. He thought he _could_ be happy like this, if he was by Dan’s side, nothing else mattering to him. He needed to start doing things for himself, needed to start living his best life. He’d started that mantra when he’d first started courting Dan, and he was going to keep trudging on no matter what. 

With Dan by his side, he felt like he could do anything.

The days moved on. After a few attempts for Dan to talk some sense into Diablo, the King decided it would be best if they banish him from the land, using all of Phil’s dragons to drive him away. Phil feared that he would return, but the dragons promised to protect the Kingdom to prevent that from happening.

Phil was finally getting used to life as a disabled man. His father had made him these fancy golden crutches to be able to get around, but he much preferred riding on Atlas everywhere he went. The dragon was getting big. _Too_ big. Sometimes he had trouble getting through doors, but he managed. He became Phil’s trusty steed, helping Phil out by moving him from place to place when he struggled with his crutches or when he was just being lazy.

There were the good days, and there were the bad days. The good days composed of laughing and sitting with Dan on the mountains. Dan would show him all of his favourite caverns, would pick berries from the trees, and they would have mini picnics with the food they found, the fish they caught in the rivers, the mushrooms they picked. The bad days were _bad_ , but Dan was still there. When Phil woke up screaming, his vision filled with fire and fangs and blood, Dan would be by his side, holding him to his chest and assuring him that everything was okay, that he was safe. Sometimes Phil’s leg would cause him so much pain that he could barely think, curling into a ball on his bed and crying until there were no more tears left and his face was swollen. These were the days that weren’t easily cured or forgotten, but he got through them, kept trying to live on, and slowly it started to get easier. 

After a long time of living like this, it became clear to Phil that he didn’t want to separate from Dan. They were comfortable together, trusted each other with their lives. They could both lean on each other when they were having a bad day, and they became each other’s strength when all was weak. Dan was the single rose blooming amidst a field of dandelions, casting Phil’s world with unexpected beauty and peace that he’d been searching for his whole life.

It was apparent that Dan felt the same way, spending the majority of his time with Phil. He showed it through his small touches, the way he would brush their noses together and sigh deeply, eyes closed like he was thanking the gods for giving him such a precious gift. He would show it by bringing Phil small gifts that he’d found in the mountains, everything from small crystals to fossilized creatures, immortalized in stone. He would show it by kissing Phil softly, lips a simple whisper against Phil’s skin, a drastic difference to the typical wildness that he always tried to show off. 

With each passing day, Phil longed for a mundane life where he could just run away with Dan, live in the mountains with their dragons, and be truly and utterly happy. He wanted to live away from responsibility, away from the kingdom, and just _live_ , free to be himself in any way that he can. 

With Dan. That was the important part in this whole fantasy of his. If Dan wasn’t involved, then Phil didn’t want that.

He brought it up to his father nonchalantly over dinner, staring into a bowl of lavender soup. Normally this was his favourite dish, but he was just stirring the liquid around in his bowl, watching the purple liquid splash onto the porcelain sides. His father had asked what was wrong, and Phil couldn’t keep his fantasies inside of his head anymore, instead blurting it out for everyone to hear. His father, his mother, the maids. 

His parents made surprised noises in the back of their throats and they were quiet for a long time, staring at each other. Phil’s known them for long enough now - his whole _life_ \- to know that they were having a full conversation with that look. He continued to stir his cooling soup, lost in his own train of thoughts, wondering if maybe he shouldn’t have brought up the fact that he wanted to run away with his person at all.

But then his father, calm smiles, a hand reaching over to put his palm over Phil’s own trembling fingers, told him that they understood. Told him that they had an idea, one that Phil could follow through with if he wanted to, as long as Dan was okay with it as well. 

Phil’s heart swelled with feeling, his eyes watering, and then he was crying into his soup while his mother came behind him and wrapped her hands around his shoulders, whispering how proud of him that she was. Phil had never been quite a cry baby ever, but he found that he was grateful for everything that his parents did for him, so overwhelmed with it that he was sitting at the dinner table with fat tears rolling down his cheeks because he finally figured out what _happiness_ felt like. 

He brought the idea up to Dan that night, while they were eating wildberry ice cream and watching the sunset, casting bright pinks and oranges in the sky like a watercolour painting. Dan’s body was a warm presence against his own, their shoulders pressed together. Atlas was halfway laying on Phil’s leg, occasionally licking into his bowl of ice cream, and Phil had given up on pushing him away a while ago. He ended up holding his spoon out for Atlas to lap at in between each of his own bites, that way they could share the damn ice cream the right way. 

Phil had turned his face into Dan’s shoulder, nuzzling into him and pressing a light kiss there. His heart had fluttered in his chest as he thought about what he and his parents had talked about only hours before. Then, he was putting the bowl onto the ground, giving it up to the claws of Atlas, as he crawled onto Dan’s lap. He hugged him tight and Dan put his bowl on the ground as well, that way he could weave his arms around Phil’s waist. 

They stayed like that for a moment, breathing in the scent of each other’s skin, until Phil couldn’t hold it in anymore and quietly asked Dan about his parents’ idea. 

The look Dan gave him was raw, full of complete and utter adoration. His eyes sparkled in the evening sky, more beautiful than the sunset overhead, and his face was filled with awe. “You’d want to do that?” he asked, and Phil was nodding without a second thought. As soon as his parents had brought up the possibility of Phil living together with Dan on Rose Mountain, Phil hadn’t considered any other options. 

There were a few more precautions, thanks to Phil’s standing, and he mentioned that next, his hands beginning to shake with both excitement and nerves. “If we wanted to do that, we’d have to go through a binding ceremony, though. Since I’m a Prince, it wouldn’t really look good on me if I ran away with some guy, you know? So a binding ceremony would help justify it, I guess. Basically it’s just us promising our souls to one another, that sort of thing. But if you didn’t want to do that yet, I wouldn’t be upset, I know it’s sudden-.”

Dan cut him off with a soft kiss, completely ignoring Atlas when he stole Dan’s bowl of ice cream as well. “Stop talking,” Dan breathed against him. His hands were rubbing soothing circles into the small of Phil’s back, and it made Phil shut his eyes and swallow, trying to slow his breathing. “You don’t have to use the moving out thing as an excuse to bind our souls together, my Prince. Even without the aspect of you moving to Rose Mountain with me, I’d still want to do it.”

Phil hid his face into Dan’s neck, trying to hide the emotional tears threatening to fall from his eyes with a huffed out laugh. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want to,” he replied wetly.

“How could you think that?” Dan murmured, running his fingernails down Phil’s back softly. “I adore you.” 

The conversation following was one of quiet whispers, talking about their plans. Plans for the future, plans for the present. Dan asked Phil if he would be happy living a mundane life in the mountains, and Phil didn’t have to think about it before saying he would love it. They talked about what would happen once Phil’s parents passed away, how he would inevitably have to take over the family throne once more, if Dan would be okay living in a castle with disgusting politics and people watching their every mood. 

Dan chuckled and shook his head at the question. “Normally? I’d hate that,” he admitted. “But since I could have you, and we would still have our Rose Mountain house, I think I could get used to it.” He said _‘our’_ so easily that it made Phil’s chest physically ache, and he ended up crying once again, which made Dan start to cry as well because they were a bunch of _babies_ and they had never thought a happiness like this would have been so attainable. 

The ceremony was held only a week later. 

It wasn’t big, Phil didn’t want it to be. It was held in the courtyard, away from the prying eyes of the Kingdom, only a select few able to see the binding ceremony. There was a fountain in the middle, one made specially for Dan and Phil that had a large dragon spouting water in the middle of it. Flowers were everywhere, from roses to lillies to lavender, and Phil even had a few sweet peas tucked into the pocket of his suit jacket. The sky was the colour of bluebells, the sun sitting high in the sky, and Phil could feel himself beaming from where he was sat on the edge of the fountain. 

Atlas was beside him, waiting for the moment where Phil would tell him he had to stand up, and then he would be helping Phil walk across the courtyard to where a bird bath was sitting, vines crawling up the sides and feeding into the dark purple liquid sitting inside the pool. That was where the King would bind them together, and Dan and Phil would promise their souls to one another. Phil could barely look at it, his nerves getting out of hand, so he stayed by the fountain instead, distracting himself by talking to the people around him, the people who were just close friends and family.

The moment Dan showed up, the small crowd went quiet, and Phil couldn’t help but twinge his lips up with both pride and uncertainty as Dan gaped at him, gaped at the people that Phil was talking to, and then, with stumbling steps forward, Dan gasped out a small, “Dad? Mum?” 

The woman who was standing next to Phil, Iris, with long brown hair cascading down her back in curls, held out her arms. “Daniel, my son,” she said warmly, and her brown eyes filled with tears that were matching Dan’s own. “I’ve missed you so much.” 

And then Dan was running - _stumbling_ \- forward, almost blindly, launching himself at his family that he hadn’t seen in over a decade. Dan’s family was large, larger than Phil’s. Alongside his parents, he had five living siblings: Luna, Chai, Marigold, Juniper, and Clover. Phil would later come to find that Dan’s eldest sister, Daisy, had passed away the same night that she’d brought Dan to the mountains, and Iris had believed Dan to be lost along with her. Their second youngest son after Dan, Durian, had fallen victim to the King not soon after. 

But right then, the view was bittersweet, with all seven family members hugging Dan and crying into each other. (Dan wouldn’t admit this later, but he had definitely been the one crying the hardest out of all of them). The family had been reunited after long last, and Phil hoped that this would finally ease the hole in Dan’s heart where his family should have been. 

After the family finished up, Dan made his way over to Phil and brought him into a large hug, nearly crushing him. “Thank you,” he whispered into Phil’s ear, and Phil just squeezed him back harder, unable to say anything because he feared that he may start crying again. 

The ceremony started not long after, Dan’s eyes still slightly swollen from his tears, but he was grinning, his entire face glowing with the sunshine. He was wearing a nice white suit that had been made especially for him, gold fabric sewn through it that made him resemble a flower. There was a violet tucked in his pocket and another one tucked behind his ear, one that Phil had placed there himself.

The King stood with them, all facing the bird bath, and he started to speak, thanking everybody for being there for Dan and Phil’s binding ceremony. He went into a long, sappy speech about how Dan and Phil had met, leaving out the tiny details about how Phil hated him, leaving out the whole murder trial thing. It made Phil want to roll his eyes, but he didn’t, instead staring at Dan with a small smile stuck on his face. Dan met his eyes and beamed back, and he was so, so beautiful. 

The King told them to hold hands over the purple pool and they did so without question, Phil holding onto Atlas with his free hand for balance. Phil had seen many binding ceremonies, but never had he thought he’d be performing _in_ one. Dan’s hand was soft in his, but Phil gripped it tight, making Dan chuckle under his breath as the King brought out a white ribbon. 

“With this ribbon, I will bind you until the stars go dark and the universe is no more,” Phil’s father said, wrapping the ribbon around their hands and tying it into a bow. This part had always made Phil snicker before, thinking that it was like wrapping a present, but he wasn’t laughing now. Now, he was smiling, his heart beating so fast that he was worried it was going to give out before the ceremony was over.

When he was done tying the ribbon, Phil’s father put his hand over theirs and started to push it into the purple liquid. “The pool of purple you see below signifies the universe.” Phil knew that it wasn’t actually the universe, was really just a bunch of purple flowers mashed up in some water, but he let himself dream for a moment. “The liquid will dye the ribbon, signifying the binding of two souls. The universe is recognising that you are becoming one with each other, and that it must not tear you apart. For from now on, you will no longer be two souls, but one.” With that, their hands were submerged in the water and Phil closed his eyes, feeling the warm liquid lapping at his skin, feeling the tightening of Dan’s hand on his. He imagined that his soul really was combining with Dan’s, merging them together so they could never be apart. 

After a moment, Phil’s father lifted their hands out of the pool. Their hands dripped lilac water and the ribbon was stained a beautiful violet. The King told them to each grab a ribbon end and pull, until it was falling away from their hands, sharing that even though the ribbon was now gone, their souls were still in tact. “You can now exchange gifts,” the King said.

Phil reached down to grab a box that Atlas had been holding in his mouth. He gave it to Dan and swapped it out for the box that Dan was holding out to him. Nervously, they unwrapped their presents together, and Phil let out a stunned breath as he stared down at his own gift. It was a brooch, one that was in the shape of a dragon, the dragon resembling Atlas and made out of pretty red and white jewels. In the middle, engraved in gold were two small letters, an _H_ and an _L_. 

“It stands for Howell and Lester,” Dan explained to him, his face red as he nervously began to open his own gift. He seemed pleased with himself, the adoration on Phil’s face showing that he had loved his present. But Phil had another trick up his sleeve, wanting to make Dan blush just as bright as he had.

When Dan finally took out his own gift, everyone gasped in surprise and Dan’s mouth fell open. 

He held a very delicate crown, one that Phil had gotten made especially for him. It was made out of gold and dragon scales that Dryas had spared especially for Phil. There were rubies woven into the gold, making it look elegant, shining in the daylight sun. Phil smiled to himself as he reached across and took the crown from Dan, placing it on Dan’s head himself. 

“For the new King of Rose Mountain,” Phil murmured softly, eyes twinkling. “ _My_ King.”

“You’re so sappy,” Dan told him quietly, but his cheeks were the colour of the roses surrounding them and Phil knew he didn’t mind in the slightest. 

The ceremony came to an end with Phil securing it with a kiss. Normally that wasn’t a necessary means at all during this sort of thing, but Dan looked so cute with his crown on that he couldn’t help himself. Everyone around them just smiled and cooed, and they laughed when they pulled apart, Phil hiding his burning face in Dan’s shoulder. 

That night, after filling their stomachs with the finest food in the kingdom and after drinking enough to make them feel dizzy, they returned to Dan’s - _their_ \- hut on Rose Mountain. Crickets chirping in the air and the soft snores of sleeping dragons greeted them, enveloping them in a soft aura of comfort. 

If Phil turned around, he would be able to see the glowing lights of Lilium, the pinks and purples and golds that made up his home. He would be able to see the castle and the blur of the courtyard, awaiting for his return home. There was a certain comfort that came with it, knowing that Lilium would be there for him, waiting, until the day that he would return as King, Dan in tow. 

But for now, as Phil turned and kissed Dan softly on the lips with a content sigh, he knew that this was where he was meant to be. 

Home.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think!


End file.
